This Is Not Love
by CatchingPeeta
Summary: Set in 2012. Katniss is poor and that's all she ever hears about. She doesn't trust anyone anymore. She has no friends and she's ok with that. When new boy Peeta comes in the picture, he's determined to make her trust him, and more importantly, fall in love with him. He doesn't care about money or anything like other people. He just wants to be with her. Better summary inside. :
1. Chapter 1

**I don't know where I'm going to go with this story, but I hope you all like(: **

_**Summary: **_**Set in 2012. All Katniss Everdeen ever hears is how ugly she is, or how poor she is. But that's what she lives with, and she's got to the point where it doesn't bother her as much anymore. When Peeta Mellark moves in town, all he wants to do is just get to know her, show her how much he cares, how much he doesn't care about the money. He doesn't care about all the whispers, stares, mumbles, classic trips. He doesn't even care that his own family is looking down on him for falling in love with a poor girl. Peeta Mellark never believed in love at first sight, but he does now. Will Katniss open up to him? Sure. Will she fall in love with him? Maybe. But there must be a storm before there's a rainbow.**

**Read to find out what happens? Please?**

**HOPE YOU ALL LIKE.**

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"Ew. She has enough money for a hair cut, but not a good one? So terribly sad." This snobby girl Glimmer whispered-yelled as I walked by. All I could do is roll my eyes. Because if I said one word back, I'd get slapped. You make that mistake once.

But nowadays, that's all I hear from people. 'Ew Katniss this. Ew Katniss that.' It gets old after the first month or so. Ok, first year or so. The first year I was getting hit and slapped because of my smart remarks back. Now I just learn to live with it.

There are people out there that try and back me up, but they give up when it just continues. And then they start doing it as well. I use to have a best friend who always backed me up until they stopped, his name was Gale Hawthorne. But once he entered high school he stopped talking to me and I eventually had to stick up for myself. Then when that didn't work out, I stopped caring all together.

Plus, I couldn't make him talk to me anymore, he was two years older than me, once his friends said something about me trying to make him talk to me, he'd start as well. He like's making his friends happy, if that means making me sad in the process. We just aren't friends anymore.

But I've learned that I don't need friends to protect myself. I've got my walls secured around my heart and my mind so nothing and nobody can just walk up and tear them down whenever they please.

Gale didn't completely cut me out of his life. Yeah, I lied. He did. Whenever we see each other, he looks the other way like I don't exist. He ended up getting money, moving into a bigger house, having rich friends along with him, he didn't need a poor friend to look after anymore.

My mother has this little hospital going on in the back of our house, and the only time Gale and I see each other anymore really is when he hurts himself or gets sick and he needs my mothers help. I'm surprised he still comes there though. He has enough money for insurance and for the hospital bills.

But with his visits and some other people that our like us (meaning poor), we wouldn't be eating atleast a nibble of bread a day. So, I guess I should be secretly thanking him.

Coming back to reality, I sit down in the seat near the windows. I look out them every class I have. I feel like windows are my escape during the day.

"Did you hear?" Someone said beside me. If only they were talking to me. I sigh and open up my notebook and pretend to be going over yesterdays notes, but instead I'm eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Hear what?" Someone answered.

"There's a new boy in class. This class, THIS PERIOD!" She whispered a bit too loud. Everyone in the room could hear her. Way to be quiet, dumbass.

Wait? A new boy? Great, he'll probably be just like everyone else. Stuck up and thinks that money gets you far in the world. And she said in this class. Ok, so, now I can't help but look over at the door and wait for someone I've never seen to walk in that door and prove me wrong. Prove to me that he's not going to be a stuck up. And how can he do that? He could wear dirty clothes.

And then suddenly I'm brought back to reality when I realize the whole room has gotten silent. I casually look over towards the door. And I see him. The first person to ever make me feel so many things all at once.

What the fuck Katniss? He's only a boy. Don't let your hormones get too crazy now.

But weirdly enough, when I looked over, he was staring back at me. And that made my heart skip a beat.

He handed the teacher his slip and came over and sat BEHIND me. No one in this whole class ever came over and sat near the windows. It was kind of my thing. The poor girls thing. And he did. Like he didn't have a care in the world where he sat. I don't know why, but that made me feel sorta special. I mean, I know he didn't do it for me, no one does anything for me around here, but he didn't care if he sat near the pretty girls, or the jocks.

"He's a window person? Ugh, of course. He's a freak." Someone whispered and I heard him whisper back.

"You know, you aren't even whispering. And if you're going to whisper about someone who likes to look at windows, do it a little bit better. Learn how to whisper. And you should also learn how to look in the mirror. You're not looking too good today." I put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing, because if I did, I'd have people on my back later about it.

But I end up mumbling so quietly to myself, "That's her everyday look." And I swear I hear a small chuckle behind me. Did he hear me? And he didn't yell at me? Of course he wouldn't, he was just making fun of her before I added my little side comment.

All class period, I felt eyes on me. I don't know if it was new boy, or someone else in the class plotting on how to make fun of me next, but I felt eyes on me. And it was making me question every little move I made.

When class ended, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Once I was safe in the hallway I slowed down and tucked a piece of hair behind me.

"Hey." I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw new boy walking next to me.

"Listen, if you're trying to protect your reputation, I'd walk far away from me." I snapped before picking up my pace trying to get away from him.

"Protect me reputation?" He laughed. A laugh that made butterflies appear in my stomach.

"Uh, yeah. I'm kind of a freak in this school. I'm a freak to this world." I shrugged and looked over at him. He was looking back at him like he was when he first entered the classroom. He tilted his head slightly to the side.

"A freak? Why would you say that?" I didn't feel like going to my next class, so I exited the school and he followed me, not having a care in the world. Oh great.

"Because I'm not exactly like everyone else around here." I mumbled and sat down at the only picnic table we have on this campus. The only table this campus has that I'm not afraid to sit at.

He sat down across from me and stared at me a couple of seconds before responding. "Explain, please?"

"You're going to miss your next class, I kinda wouldn't want to miss if it I were you." I said looking anywhere but his face.

"I will, after you explain to me why you're a freak." Simple answer. A simple answer my ass.

"I'm poor. I don't have any money to go shopping with, or to buy a nice dinner. My family and I make money from a little hospital we have running out of the back of our house." He was silent. So I decided to end this conversation and stood up and started to walk away.

"Wait," He grabbed my hand and spun me around to look at him. I looked down at our hands and I swear I saw sparks. Who was this kid? "I don't think that makes you a freak. I mean, a lot of us don't have money."

"Yeah, everyone around here makes more money than my family would make in a lifetime." I pulled my hand out of his grasp and looked into his eyes. His gorgeous blue eyes. The blue eyes that were making my heart melt. Ugh.

This kid is doing things to me that I'd never thought were possible.

"I still don't think that makes you a freak. I'm Peeta by the way." He held out his hand. I stared at it for a couple of seconds before I finally took it.

"Katniss." I let go off his hand and hold my books tighter to my chest. He looked around and then looked back at me.

"Wow.." He smiled at me. No one has ever been this nice to me, not even Gale. I like it in some weird way. I should be avoiding him, showing him that I don't need anyone. But, somehow when I look at him, all the bad things fade.

"What?" I couldn't help but smile back. It wasn't a big smile, but it was a smile, and that's all I could give right now. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I feel like my walls are slowing breaking apart, and that can't happen. I mean, I just met this kid.

"Nothing. It's just, I mean, I love it." I could feel my cheeks burning up so I quickly looked down.

"I should get going, and you should go to your second period class before you really get in trouble." I stood next to him and looked at his schedule. Enviromental Science. I have that. Oh dear. His whole schedule is the same as mine. "Um, well, we'll be seeing a lot of each other, every class on here, is also what I have. Let's get going." I started to walk back towards the entrance.

"Just my luck. I think it's fate." Peeta smirked at me.

"Fate? Yeah, if I believed in that. I'm not even sure I know what it is." I frowned to myself but I know Peeta saw.

"Whatcha mean?" We somehow stopped walking and were just looking at the hallway infront of us.

"When my dad told me how him and my mother met, I thought true love and fate and everything good was possible, but lately, I'm not so sure. It's complicated." He looked at me with a sad expression. "I get teased everyday I'm here, my father died, my mother barely acts like me and my little sister exist ever since he died, I use to have this friend but he stopped talking to me once he started to make a living. I'm stuck in this fucked up town for my little sister, and I'm only seventeen, I can't just pack up our stuff and leave. Trust me, I would right away. But we'd be even more poor than we already are."

There I was. Looking at the boy that just had me admit everything that has happened to me, everything that was on my mind, and he was just staring at the floor.

"Katniss, I.." I didn't let him finish, I started to walk away. I didn't need anyone feeling sorry for me. And I hated him. I hated him for making me trust him. I don't need to trust anyone.

I could tell he was following me, I walked back out the school and off of school campus. I don't need this. I'm done with this town, and the people in it, I'm just flat out done.

"Katniss! Wait! Please!" A few people were staring at us in the parking lot with wide eyes. Probably thinking why he's following me and why I look ready to blow up.

"Just leave me alone." I call back to Peeta. He ends up catching up to me and grabbing my arm. I pull my arm out of his hold once again and look at him. "What do you want? To judge me? To feel sorry for me?"

He shakes his head. "No, what the hell? Katniss, no. You left before I could say anything."

"You don't need to say anything." I feel about ready to cry.

Deep down, I knew I needed someone to lean on. And for a second, I was hoping somewhere in my heart, that he could be that person. But we're just too.. different.

"I feel like I should though." He mumbled and scratched the back of his neck.

"Listen, I don't need sympathy from you, or from anyone for that matter. And I for sure as hell don't need friends. Just, we should stop talking. I don't want to ruin your chance of having friends because of me." I start walking away again and he doesn't try to stop me.

"Goodbye Peeta." I mumbled to myself as I walk home. I walk in the street hoping maybe I'll get hit and knock some sense into me.  
I just had the perfect person right infront of me, who I could open up to, and I was too damn stupid to open up more.

I don't need friends. I don't need help. I just need.. I don't even know what I need.

Once I walk in my house, my mother is looking at some papers.

"Everything ok in here?" I say to her as I take my seat on the kithen counter.

"Just looking at some old letters your father and I wrote to eachother while he was in the army.." I sighed and came over and patted my mothers back. I'm not very effectionate, but with this, I need to be. "Why are you home so early?" She changed the subject.

"I met this boy.. And I felt like I could trust him. I don't know. He made me feel.. Alive?" It was more of a question then a statement. My mother smiled a bit at me.

"And?"

"And nothing. I don't need to be broken again. I'm ok with being a freak. I'm ok with having no friends. I'm ok with it all." I say. My mother sighs and gives me that look where she's dissapointed in my stubborness.

"Just because you've had heartbreak in the past, doesn't mean everyone's going to do it, Kat." She caressed my cheek.

"Kinda hard to believe. But I'm not opening up to anyone. Ever." I cross my arms over my chest so she knows that there isn't a point in arguing with me anymore.

"Alright alright. No more arguing, your sister will be home soon, try and not look so pouty." She tapped me on the nose and walked to her room without another word.

When Prim got home, we ate some cheese and bread with some milk. It was a big dinner. For us anyways. We all laughed about her day and I kept my day quiet. But Prim already knew about Peeta. Everyone already knew that new boy was talking to the freak.

Prim wasn't called a freak, not yet. She's not in high school yet. And when someone speaks up about her being a freak, I'll punch them in the nose, and hopefully she does the same.

After dinner, I lay in my bed. Thinking about Peeta. Thinking why such a fuss was made about him and I. We just met, and like I've said a billion and one times, I'm good with being alone.

"She would change everything for happy ever after." I hum to myself before I fall into a dreamless sleep.

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**Hey. I hope you liked. Reviews would be great. (:**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for all the followers, and adding me and this story to your favorites, and also for the reviews. They made my day completely amazing. So anyways, here is Chapter 2(:**

**Enjoy.**

**Waitt, before I get this story started, I've figured out a schedule for this story, I will be updating every other day. If you're lucky, I'll make it every day if I'm not busy. So please, review!**

**Now the story. **

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Pounding. All these rumors about Peeta and I were heavier than ever. Do people around here not have anything better to do? I mean seriously. Peeta and I were not that special. We just, had a moment. I had a moment. I had a wrong moment. A wrong moment, in the wrong time.

It wasn't even noon yet and I was getting more stares and whispers than I've had since high school has started. And all I could do was roll my eyes. I couldn't even stand up for myself and yell at these people who think Peeta and I have something going on. We had only just met I JUST MET HIM. You have no idea how many times I've wanted to scream it.

Oh. And guess what? Girls were already plotting on revenge for stealing the most perfect boy in school. Apparently I turned him into a freak. People around here just don't make sense at all. It's pretty sad that I live in this generation.

From all my eye rolling, I'm surprised my eyes haven't permanently been stuck like that, they will eventually though. Somehow, this gossip isn't going to just fade away in a day or two. It'll probably be by the end of the year before this fades.

I take my seat in Journalism and take out my notebook. This was the only class that I felt free to speak freely. Until I met Peeta Mellark, and found out he has every class with me. But I haven't seen him all morning, so maybe he decided to skip? I'm glad I didn't, or people would be thinking we're out together. Sickens me at the thought of what else people are thinking about Peeta and I.

"Great." I mutter, because my wish did not come true. Peeta walked in the classroom with a late slip. Someone needs an alarm clock. Maybe I'll buy him one on his birt- KATNISS. What in the world are you thinking? I wanted to slap myself right then and there. I need to stop thinking about Peeta Mellark and I. It wasn't helping my confused head as it was.

I was disappointed when Peeta didn't sit in the seat next to me. I was hoping he'd try and fight for our friendship, what am I doing? I don't want a friendship. He probably realized that I was already screwing up his reputation and he's decided to take my advise. Deep down, I didn't want him to listen to anything I'd say to him.

I was really hoping he'd be different. But I got my hopes up on a friendship that was doomed from the start.

"Ok, I would like to tell you something before I want to begin what I want you guys to do." Mr. Flickerman said looking at basically all the jocks and preps. "I hear rumors. I don't care if they're true or not, but whatever the hell they are, drop them. High school is all you have left. I know you kids are doing what's that saying? YOLO or something? But seriously guys. It doesn't matter if it's true or not, making rumors about something that has nothing to do with you, isn't worth it. You have one more year before you're outta here." He slams his hand on his desk. "DON'T SCREW IT UP." He raises his voice.

Everyone looks at him with wide eyes. And we all knew what he was talking about. I couldn't help but look at Peeta. But he was staring down at his paper like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Anyways, back on the things that matter in life. I would like you all to write a 5 page short story, about anything. Let whatever you have on your mind out, but not in a journal way, in a story way. Due by the end of class, or most of it at least. Get to it."

Short story? What could I write about? I could write about how people here are dicks and I imagine how everyday I dream about taking Prim and I far away from here. I sigh and rub my temples. I'm getting a headache. I'm only 17 years old and I can't take so much stress at one time. I've put up with so much stress these past 4 or so years. I'm surprise I'm not growing grey hairs.

So, I wrote about the only thing that came to my mind without making me think too hard. A real life story of a girl who wanted to get out of a small nowhere town because of idiots and poverty, and people in that town thought she couldn't do it. But she tried her damn hardest and she ended up making it. Mr. Flickerman will know it's a true story about me, everyone knows I plan on escaping this town when I turn 18.

About two minutes before class was over, I walked up to his desk and handed him my paper. "My best yet, trust me." I looked at Mr. Flickerman and he scanned his eyes over it before looking at me with a sad smile.

"Alright, I'll grade it and give it back to you tomorrow. Since you're done, I'll let you live a minute early, better head to lunch before the crowd gets there first." And with that, I pratically ran out of the classroom. I don't usually eat lunch, but I need to settle this headache or whatever it was. I took an apple; the only thing free in this school, and walked outside to my picnic and saw it was already occupied.

I walked around the campus eating my apple because I wasn't going to risk sitting at the picnic table just to eat an apple. When I was done the apple, I tossed it into the nearest trash can and decided to head to my next class. Home Living. The second easiest class in this entire school. All you do in that class is make food and learn how to take care of kids and how to make a living. Which I'll need to know for Prim's sake.

When I get to the classroom, I see Peeta sitting down at a desk doodling in a notebook. I turn around and I'm about to walk out of the classroom before I hear him cuss under his breath. I turn my head and peak at him and his begging eyes are digging holes right through me. Yeah. I'm a goner. Nice knowing you all. I took a deep breath and walk back into the class and sit down at the desk farthest from him. I mean, it was my desk anyways.

He decides it's too far from him so he picks up his books and comes and sits next to me. I can feel his eyes on me and I can't look at him. I'll break down and cry. Why am I so weak suddenly? Damn you, Mellark.

"Can we just.. uh, talk?" He mutters. He's begging. I can't take it. I'm dying on the inside. I hate being weak. And I hate admitting it to myself.

"I have nothing to say." I say still not looking at him. Because if I do, I know I'll be a goner. Wait, I already am.

"I don't give a shit if you have nothing to say. I have a millions to say, ok. Scratch that. But I just want to talk to you. About anything, or everything." And then I finally look at him. His eyes look watery, he's going to cry? I sigh and nod my head.

"So talk." I don't look away from him. I don't think I can, and even if I wanted to, I don't think I would.

"Ok, so, um..." I couldn't help but smile a little. He was so worried about us talking, and now he doesn't know what to say. As if he knows what I'm thinking he adds, "Don't judge me, I had this whole thing planned out in my head, and now I can't remember it." He smiles a bit back at me and I look down at my lap. This boy is making me crazy. "Ok! Got it. Like the weather?" I couldn't help but laugh. He had everything planned out, and it ended up being about the weather? He's too adora- Lemme stop right there.

"I guess." I smile and shake my head. "Anything else to talk about? The weather's for small talk, and super cliché."

"Alright. Then you pick a topic. Watcha wanna talk about, Kit Kat?" Nicknames? What nickname is Kit Kat? A damn candy bar. A good candy bar if that.

"Uh, um. No idea. I'm not good with words, or talking. Actually, I'm a failure when it comes to interacting with someone else." It was true.

"Alright, so, I feel like I know everything about you. Tell me stuff that other people don't know." I looked at him from the corner of my eyes. He looks serious. DEAD SERIOUS. Help. Someone. God? Satan? Someone?

"So, like secrets?" I ask him. I see him nod. "Oh, ok. Hm.." I can't think of anything I haven't told this boy. And then something comes up. "We use to have money. We weren't rich, but we weren't starving poor like we are today. But after my father died, my mother stopped working and we didn't have my father sending us money anymore. That's when my mother opened that little hospital in the back of our house." I just told him something only my family knew. I opened up to him.. This is perfect. Katniss Everdeen, 3 days ago I would punch someone in the face for talking to me, now I'm sitting in this empty classroom telling this boy, everything and anything about my screwed up world. He hasn't said anything yet so I added, "Your turn."

"Wow.. But um. My parents own that new bakery in the center of town." I nodded so he knew that I knew the bakery. He continued, "But yeah. When we lived in our old town, we weren't very rich either. We were barely making it, and then my father suddenly had this love and passion for baking, so we ended up starting a bakery, and that's how we make a living. Now we have money." So Peeta had it bad to. And they just started to make enough money to keep them alive.

"You're not that different then.." I look at him and whisper. He shakes his head and gives me a sad smile.

"I'm not. I'm just like you. I'm just like the next poor person. That's why I don't care about the money, I can't say the same for the rest of my family though." He sighs and looks at his desk. I just keep staring at the side of his face. Studying him.

"Your family cares about the money?" I ask him and then look down. I feel like I crossed a line.

"Sadly, yeah. Now that we have the money, my parents look down on the poor. Even though we were once in that position. It's mainly my mother and brothers though. My father just goes with the flow." Now I understood.

Even if Peeta and I ever became friends, we'd have more than just the rumors in school haunting in school. I become stiff and Peeta notices. "So, even if we ever did become friends," I didn't finish. I'm ready to cry.

Cry why? Because I was close to a friend, so close to officially open up to a person since Gale. My walls have a crack in them, but nothing duck tape can do.

"Become friends what?" He asks me. I don't feel the need to finish. I feel like he should know already. Like he should be thinking the same thing I am.

"If I ever opened up to you completely, and we became friends... We'd have more than just the stares and whispers at school. Half the town is already noticing. What would your parents think? Peeta Mellark, taking his time talking to Katniss Everdeen, the poor girl." I snap. I didn't mean to snap at him, but it's his parents. Looking down on us when they were poor? Fucking hypocrites.

"I wouldn't care about them. They can't tell me what to do. I'm not a little kid anymore." He tries and grabs my hand but I just ignore him and his gestures.

"Peeta, we might have been the same, but now.. We're too different. I live in a poor part of this world and depend to live off of stale foods and home remedies. And you live on fresh food and you can drink fresh water and go to a real hospital." I'm trying not to cry. I'm holding back the worst of tears I've ever felt inside of me.

"How many times do I have to tell you I don't care about the money!" He's starting to yell. But after him yelling, the teacher walks in and stares at him and I with questioning eyes. I ignore Peeta and I ignore the whole class period. I need to get out of here.

When the class is over I storm out of there and to my last class. Which, Peeta is following me. I feel someone grab my hand and I expect it to be Peeta, but it's not. It's a jock, of course. The biggest one of them all. His names Cato.

"Hey babe." He winks at me. Right. Now all the guys are going to think I'm easy because of Peeta. Around Peeta, I'm open to him. I'm not open to everyone else. But with my screwed up mind right now, I'm not sure who I'd be friends with.

"I have to get to class." I push him off of me and he grabs my ass. "That's it." I turn around and punch him dead in the nose. "Don't fucking touch me again!" I screamed at him. He was knocked backwards but I didn't hit him enough to knock him off his feet.

"You're going to regret that you little bitch." He said walking towards me. I did the only thing I could think of, my foot met his dick. If he even had one. He wears tight enough pants as it is. So you can't really tell.

I saw Peeta coming up pushing him through the crowd around Cato and I. Cato was now done on his knees yelling at me. Peeta came up behind him and kicked him down and kicked him in the stomach.

"Don't fucking threaten her. Ever again." So he heard. He looked so pissed I swear I saw steam coming out of his ears. It was also kinda sexy to see someone help me beat up Cato. He's done more than Gale would've done. Or anyone for that matter.

Once Peeta and I heard teachers breaking up the crowd, he grabbed my hand and we sprinted for the exit. I was laughing and Peeta was still looking as pissed as ever. As soon as we got out, he rubbed my knuckle. "You ok?" I looked down at my knuckle and saw it was red and looked swollen.

"Yeah I'm fine. He's going to get us back. You know that right?" I look at him with sincere eyes. I don't want him getting hurt because of me.

"Yeah, but I think he'll be in the hospital with some damage first." Peeta smiled at me and stopped my knuckles. I frowned a bit at the loss of skin contact but got over it once I saw his smile. His damn blue eyes, gorgeous white teeth, perfect lips..

"True. I should probably go home, I don't feel like going in there right now and getting bitched at for defending myself." I sigh and he nodded in agreement.

"My second day here, and I've got into a fight. Record for me." We both laughed and walked to his car. "Want me to drive you home?" He asked scratching the back of his neck.

"Why not. Save me the walking." He opened the passenger door open for me and I took a seat in his car. It wasn't a new car, but it was pretty damn clean for an older car. The outside looked like it's age, but when you take a seat, you can tell it's kept well.

I gave him the directions to my house and we were there in about 6 minutes, we didn't talk about anything while he was driving. It wasn't uncomfortable silence at all. We were just that comfortable with each other now, I guess.

When he pulled up infront of my house, he stared at it for a second before looking back at me. "You make it seem like it's a shack." He chuckles.

"A shack on the inside, my mother makes the outside look pretty. Prim plants flowers and keeps them water and yeah. The inside isn't that pretty though. Don't let it fool you." I unbuckle and open the door. Peeta grabs my hand and looks at me.

"You aren't going to ignore me tomorrow are you?" He asks me. He looks sad again. I don't think I can ignore him. Ever again. We're not even in that part of this friendship thing anymore.

"Nah, of course not." He kisses my red knuckle and I get out of the car and walk open the gate to my house. I look back and I can tell he's gonna leave when I get inside. What a gentleman.

I open the door to my house and see him drive away waving goodbye. I shut the door quietly because the house is already so quiet, I don't know if my mothers working or sleeping. I find her sleeping on the sofa. I get a worn out blanket and cover her up. I turn off the tv she had on and head to my room.

Peeta Mellark. You made me open up to you in less than a day. You made me believe in love again.. My eyes got wide.

Peeta Mellark is making me believe in love. Psh. Pish posh. Love doesn't exist. Only in fairy tales. And fairy tales only exist in movies. Peeta Mellark is turning my world upside down. For good or for bad, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that if I fall in love with him, everything will be even more complicated.

I guess all I can do is now is think about all the things that he makes me mad about. Which is going to be hard.. Because even when he pisses me off, I somehow find it absolutely adorable.

Ugh. Damn you Peeta Mellark.

What have you done with my head? My heart? MY WALLS?

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	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again for making this story a favorite, following, and reviewing. It's really making me smile. Anyways. As you have all been waiting for. **

**Chapter 3. :D **

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"Katniss, I want to meet Peeta." Prim whined. It's been about a week since Peeta and I had that drive home. And we're surprisingly friends. He's waiting for me to snap at him, and I'm waiting for him to start caring about his reputation. But, we're not disappointing each other so far.

Now everytime I come home with a smile, Prim and mother know why. And I still don't want them to meet Peeta. Peeta has brung it up once, but I change the subject quickly after. I've never brough a boy to my home, let alone drive me home. Peeta was lucky he was able to do that.

Peeta and I have been hanging out besides just in school. We'll go to the store and I'll help him shop for clothes and he'll make sure I get something every time. He said he'll feel bad so I let him do it. I try to complain every time, but I gave up because he'll sneak him something anyways.

People say Peeta and I are dating, but they obviously don't know what friendship is. What REAL friendship is anyways. I don't like Peeta for his money or his looks. I like him for him. And him the same.

Peeta hasn't even told his family about me yet, but they're hearing the rumors. They rumors haven't even faded a bit. But ever since the Cato fight, everyone stopped bothering me to my face, they're all doing it behind my back. I guess I'm happier in some way because now I don't have to hear the lies they're all making up, but I miss rolling my eyes. But I do that enough around Peeta as it is.

I didn't even tell my family up front about it, they just heard the rumors and when Prim asked me, all I did was smile. Now they're all over me about meeting the boy with the bread.

Peeta and I finally found decent nicknames for each other. He calls me the girl on fire, he said it's because I always have this fire burning through me, he can through my eyes. I call him the boy with the bread, first because of the bakery that he works at with his family, and secondly because every time we go shopping, or we're eating lunch or snacks together, bread is involved. Doesn't matter what kind, stale or not, he has this obsession with bread. It's adorable beyond words. No doubt about it.

"Why do you want to meet him so bad?" I stare at my little sister. I love her, but she's annoying me about Peeta. She'll meet him when she meets him. Plus, I'd never ask him if he wants to meet my family. He'd probably run after that.

"He's always making you smile, I just want to see him and why he makes you smile all the time. Maybe he can make me smile." She beamed. I can't say no to Prim. Well, I can, but she'll pout, and I'll end up saying yes. So either way, I'm screwed.

An idea popped into my head. "Ok, he can. But you have to ask him. I'm not." She was still smiling and she started to jump up and down. Of course she was. She doesn't care as long as she gets to meet him and invite him over.

"OH YAY." She yelled clapping her hands together. I rolled my eyes and couldn't help but smile. She was my father's daughter. If he was here, he'd be cheering too.

The next morning we walked into town. No school today since it was a Saturday, so we decided to see what we could find in town, or who we could find. I didn't dare go to the bakery because of Peeta's family. And he told me he doesn't work on Saturday's so we'd just be running into his family if we went there. I'm not risking that anyways.

Prim wanted to check out the florist first. The florist is the only decent person in town that doesn't judge us, because secretly, they're barely making it also. They just keep it to themselves.

We walk into the florist and the woman at the counter greets Prim with a primrose. It's like she has them ready. I put the primrose in Prim's hair and Prim and woman at the counter both beam at me. I smiled at both of them and then looked around at all the flowers while they talked about their week and how the weekend should go.

After about seven or so minutes, I saw this shade of blonde out of the corner of my eye, I looked out the window and saw Peeta, with two other boys. Must be his brothers. He said his brothers are like his mother, caring about money too much, so I didn't go out there and introduce myself.

Prim saw me staring out the window and came over and looked with me. "That's him?"

"The blonde, yeah." She knows about how his family cares about the money, so she didn't rush out and say anything to him. I loved her for that.

"Lets go. We can make a dramatic exit and maybe he'll notice us." Her idea did sound pretty damn good.

We said goodbye to the florist and we exited the shop, and then I saw his brothers and him look at us from the corner of my eye.

"Stop looking at her dude, you needa get over her, she isn't worth it. She's not good for anything." I heard one of his brothers say. Not good for anything? I sigh and continue to walk. I had tears in my eyes and Prim saw. She grabbed ahold of my hand and squeezed it.

"Don't say that shit." Peeta said and I could his footsteps getting closer to Prim and I. "Katniss wait." I ignored him and Prim and I started to walk faster.

He grabbed my hand and spun me around, making Prim glare at him. I've never seen her glare at anyone, thank you little sister. Thank you.

"Will you just leave her alone?" Prim crossed her hands over her chest and I smiled at her and looked back at Peeta and frowned again.

"No, I can't." Peeta answered looking at me. "I wouldn't want to." Prim then smiled.

"That's too cute." She smiled and walked away from Peeta and I.

"Prim, where are you going?" I asked her.

"Home, so you can talk through things with Peeta here." She smiled and she disappeared through the houses and trees.

"I have to thank your little sister." Peeta chuckled. I decided to stay quiet. "Why are you so mad? I told you about them. I didn't say anything bad about you, I backed you up. You can't possibly be mad."

"I know, I just.. I wish things were different." I sighed and looked down at my feet.

"I wish things were too." He whispers.

"So, my sister and I were actually looking for you, uh.." I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear and I can feel my cheeks getting hot.

"For what?" He tucked his hands in his pockets.

"They kinda all wanna meet you actually. My mom and Prim. Formally too. Not just a hi or anything, formally." I explain to him. He nods.

"Lead the way." He smiles at me and I smile back. We walk to my house talking about nothing and everything. That's how it was with Peeta, we could talk about anything and not be bored with each other.

When we get to my house Prim rushes outside and smiles so big her jaw is going to hurt later. "YOU CAME YOU CAME." She jumped up and down smiling at Peeta.

"Yeah, I did. I heard I was wanted in the Everdeen house." I rolled my eyes and Peeta nudged my side and Prim led the way into the house.

Peeta has never been inside my house, and I was scared. Sure the outside is pretty, but when you walk in, everything changes. When we walked in, Peeta's expression didn't change, maybe he really didn't care. He just looked around taking in his surroundings. In our kitchen we have a little table with 4 chairs, in the living room with have a sofa that has seen it's last day, and a little box tv, and then in the back of the house we have the staircase that leads to the bedrooms upstairs.

My mother was sitting on the sofa reading a book that she'd read a million times but she just can't put it down. She knows it by heart and then some.

"Mom! Peeta came! I told you he'd come!" Prim pulled on Peeta's hand into the living room where our mother was. Peeta was just smiling down at my little sister.

My mother stood up and looked Peeta up and down and she nodded and winked at me. "Why are you winking?" I laughed at her.

"You did good." I groaned and covered my face with my hands. "I mean, in the friend way?"

"Oh mother. Peeta and Katniss look adorable together don't they?" Prim asked standing next to mother and taking in the sight of Peeta and I.

"We're just friends." I groaned into my hands. Secretly though, I was hoping we'd be more, but I don't want to ruin a friendship that's hard to keep track of as it is. Peeta chuckled on my side and I slapped his arm playfully.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Everdeen." Peeta holds out his hand and my mother looked at it and then shook it after thinking.

"Pleasure meeting you as well, Peeta." She smiled at me and then him. "We finally get to meet the boy who has made Katniss all love crazed." I stare at my mother wide-eyed. Prim just stands there laughing and Peeta is even blushing himself.

"Love crazed? Oh please." I rolled my eyes and sit down on the sofa.

"We're just crazy in love." Peeta says and that makes my mother and Prim laugh. I just put a pillow over my face and groan. This is why I didn't want him to come here. They're just going to embarrass me the entire time. And Peeta is happy as hell to just enjoy this as well.

"Ok ok, let's stop before Katniss has a breakdown and hurts us all while we're sleeping." My mother laughs and pats my back.

"Thanks." I mutter. I remove the pillow from my face and I see that my mother and Prim have left and it's only Peeta and I. "I see you're having fun with them torturing me to death." I glare at him.

"Calm down." He chuckles and puts his arm around me. He's done with once before but I made him remove it because I didn't want to go down that rode. Now I just want him to keep it there and do more.

"I'm calm, this is why I've been stalling about you coming here. They all think we're in love with each other." I saw him look down and I was hoping he'd say something like 'But I am', but he didn't say it. He didn't say anything. Instead he removed his arm from around me and stood up.

"I should get going, before my brothers get me in trouble." He didn't look at me while he said it. I stood up too and started to walk towards the door.

"Yeah, I forgot about them." I mumble before opening the door and stepping outside with Peeta. I closed the door behind me so Prim or my mother don't try and listen to our conversation. "Did I say something wrong?"

He still wasn't looking at me. "Nope." And with that he walked away. Not a goodbye, or I'll see you later. Or anything. I stare at his back as he walks towards the center of town. He doesn't even look back to see if I'm still there. I wipe away a tear that fell and walked back in.

"Where's Peeta at?" Prim asked me with a questioning look.

I didn't answer her. Instead I walked up to my room and shut the door and locked it.

"Fuck you Mellark." I mutter and sit down on my floor and rip up a drawing that he gave me a couple days ago.

If he can't tell me what the hell is wrong with him, then I'm not going to bother to talk to him ever again. I'm done with this. This is why I should've treated him like everyone else.

About an hour later, someone knocked on my door. "Leave me alone." I say to whoever knocked.

"I can't." And I knew who it was. It was Gale.

"Gale?" I say going to my door and listening to what he had to say next.

"We should talk." Where have I heard that before?

"I don't have shit to say to you." I unlocked the door and opened it. I saw Gale. He had a cut on his face and I would've felt sorry for him; if we were friends.

"But I have stuff to say to you." He said rubbing his hands together.

"Actually, me first. I have more than just words to say." And I slapped him. Right across that no good perfect face of his. "Fuck you." I spit at him.

"Fuck! Katniss! What the fuck was that for?" He holds his cheek and mumbles cuss words left and right.

"That was for leaving me when I needed you." I say to him. He looks at me and he doesn't look sad at all. "I trusted you. And because of you, I'm afraid to open up to anyone. So just do what you do best, and leave." He shook his head at me and laughed.

"I'm not going anywhere, want to know why? Because I'm moving back. I'm doing school from home, so you'll be seeing a lot of me around here. And I live three houses away." My jaw drops open.

"Please tell me you're getting back at me for slapping you." I beg. He shakes his head.

"We can be besties again." He smirks again and walks away down the stairs.

I slam my door shut and scream. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.

Fuck my life. I was doing so good. Doing great actually. WHY GOD. WHY SATAN. WHY ANYONE.

"What have I done with my life?" I fall on my bed and scream into my pillow.

First Peeta, then Cato, now Gale.

Men are screwing up my life. No matter if they're my friend/ex friend/enemy, they're screwing up my life and I can't stop it.

I walk down to the living room and find my mother and Prim playing cards on the floor. Gale was no where to be found.

"What was all that screaming for?" Prim looked up and asked me with a sad expression on her face.

"I'm quitting school." My mother looks up at me and shakes her head. "I am. I need to help out here more than anything, I'll get a job in town or something, but for right now, I'm done school." And I didn't let my mother say anything. Or even Prim.

Ok, I found a way to stay away from Peeta and from everyone at school.

Now, how am I going to keep my distance from Gale?

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**I really hope you guys like it. :D ready for chapter 4? lol.**

**anyways. 5 reviews will be great and make me happy. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I've cherished all of the reviews I have been getting from this story. And I just want to squeeze you all so much because of it.  
When I first started this story, I didn't know where or what was going to happen, so I've just been typing and typing and letting my hands take the lead, and I can tell that it's not as bad as I've thought, so thanks for making me want to continue to write. **

**Anyways, enough talking. **

**Chapter 4. c: I hope you enjoy.**

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"Are you sure you want to do this dear?" The secretary in the office asked me. I've fought with my head about this decision of quitting school or not. It's all I can do right now. I need to help make money for my family. But if I quit, I'd be effecting Prim, my mother, and probably Peeta. And most importantly, I'd be disappointing my father if he was here and found I'd quit to help make money.

"Yeah." I nibble on my bottom lip and push my books in front of her.

"Alright, here are some home tutors if you decide to change your mind." She smiles one of them damn sad smiles at me.

"Ok, thanks." I smile back at her and shove the paper she handed me into my already full bag. I'll have to go through it when I get the chance.

When I exit the office, I see Peeta sitting at our picnic table. I shook my head and erased the images of what happened at the picnic table. What happened in this damn school. Peeta didn't want anything to do with anymore. So I need to stop thinking about him.

After our little talk at my house Friday, we haven't talked since. I've walked in town, I even made Prim go in the bakery and get some bread we had enough money for. And we couldn't find him anywhere. We even looked into the field where he sometimes is hanging with his brothers when him and I aren't talking. It was like he was hiding from me. But isn't that what I wanted all along? Him to stop talking to me? Yeah, I did, but I didn't expect him to listen. Like I've said before, he was supposed to be different, and for a week and a half, he was different, because he cared about me.

I sigh and look down. I sit down on the office steps and look at all the students and teachers rushing to get to their next class. I could be one of them students, but I can't.

I stood up and start walking off towards the main road. Peeta is staring at me from what I can tell from the corner of my eye. But he doesn't make an attempt to stop me or even call my name. He looks one second, then looks back down like I don't exist.

Tears are forming in my eyes and I try to ignore them, but they just start to fall, harder and harder, and before you know it, I'm sobbing on a bench off campus. I pull my knees up to my chest and try to calm down. All I can do is think about what I could have done better. But I'm too screwed up to think clearly.

I blame Gale. I had everything perfect before he came to my house Friday night. Practically forcing him and I to be friends again. But why? I mean, we have less money than we did when him and I stopped talking. And Peeta came along and made me open up when I wasn't expecting him to. He came out of nowhere. I didn't expect him to just care for me like he did. I want him to be like everyone else, because if he's like everyone else, then I wouldn't be in this situation. I'd be sitting on that picnic table not having a care in the world, because people here don't hurt me anymore. Well, they didn't until Peeta Mellark moved to town.

Once I was calmed down, I stood up and finished my walk home. I knew I looked like a mess, because people were staring and whispering. It's not only in school I guess. Kids around here are just like their damn parents. I pull my hood over my head and look down. This is my home, the place where I was born and where I've grown up, but people here treat me like I'm a stranger.

"So much for my happy ending." I hum to myself the closer I am to my house. The closer I am home, the more comfortable I feel. "You were everything, everything that I wanted." I can feel myself starting to cry again, so I quickly try and change my train of thought.

Once I'm home, I throw my bag on the floor and find my mom at the kitchen table with her head in her hands. "What's wrong?" I ask her peeking at the papers in front of her.

"If I don't pay this last house bill, we're going to be on the streets." I closed my eyes hoping this was a dream, but it's not. This is real life. Welcome to it.

"I'm going to head down for a job in town now I guess." I mumble and take a sip of the bottle of water we have in the fridge.

"You don't have do to that." She stands up and comes and looks at me. I can't help but look down.

"But I need to. What if people don't get sick the next two weeks mom? This is house is the only thing that I have know besides you and Prim. I'm not losing it. We have too many memories here for us to be thrown on the streets." And with that, I walk out of the house and start my walk to town.

"Katniss wait!" She called. I turned around and my mother came jogging up to me. I look at her confused. "The bakery is hiring."

"Anything else.. Please say yes." I beg. Bakery equals Peeta. And Peeta equals awkwardness.

"I'm afraid so, goodluck." She kisses my cheek before going back home. I want to scream. Scream because this is my punishment. I can't stay away from Peeta. No matter if I quit school or not.

I stand in front of the bakery five minutes later. I remember how his parents are all into money, but maybe they really need the help, and I could help clean or something. I'm good at taking care of things. I'm not sure about baking though.

Someone coughs and I look towards the noise. "May I help you?" This older guy was thin, but he wasn't poor thin. He had sparkling green eyes and blonde hair with some grey coming in. Peeta's father.

"Um, yes, actually. My mother told me that the bakery was hiring, and I would like to, uh, apply for a job." I kick at a rock to try and calm my nerves. The man chuckles and nods and walks in the bakery, I follow him without asking.

Once we enter the bakery, the sweetest aroma fills my nose. He hands me a paper and tells me to complete it and when I'm done he'll go over it and see if I'm fit for the job. Someone was looking after me because it's a job for a cleaner, so I'd have no problem doing that.

After I was finished filling everything out, I go and him the paper. He scans his eyes over it and nods his head in approval. "When would you like to start?" He smiles up at me. Peeta was right, his dad does go with the flow.

"As soon as possible, please." I give him a small smile.

"Of course, of course." He looks around before looking back at me. "How about right now?" I nod. "Alright, here's an apron, and the brooms in the back. Just pretend that you've worked here for years and you won't feel as uncomfortable." He hands me a blue apron with the words 'Mellark's Bakery' on it. It should just have bakery on it and I wouldn't feel as awkward wearing it.

He pointed to the door where the broom was and I when I opened the door there was about two brooms, I picked the blue one, I'll match. And then I just started to sweep.

After I was done sweeping, Mr. Mellark and I just sat behind the counter and talked. He was easy to talk to just like Peeta was. He asked me if I was in school, and I told him I need to help out at the house so I couldn't and he didn't judge me, he didn't give me one little hint in his eyes that I was stupid or he was judging. Like father like son.

"Peeta should be here soon, why don't you wipe the counter off and then you can head out." I nodded and wet the cloth he gave me and wiped the counter off. He came back out and gave me a cloth to dry the counter off with as well.

I heard the bell to the door go off and my eyes closed and I was begging it wasn't Peeta. "Peeta, about time you got home, there's a cake in the back that needs to be decorated." I looked up through one eye and saw Peeta looking at me. From far away, he looked normal. But now that he's closer than usual, I can tell he has bags under his eyes and his eyes are swollen.

So I'm not the only that hasn't been able to sleep.

"Yeah, alrighty." Peeta comes behind the counter as I'm drying it and gets an apron. But he doesn't say a word to me. I'm glad and sad at the same time. I want him to tell me he misses me, that he can't sleep because we don't talk. But he doesn't. Because he probably realizes I'm as screwed up and freaky as everyone says I am.

It's about 5 o'clock when I leave the bakery. I got my schedule for the week. I'd be working everyday except Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. At least I get the weekends to myself.

When I'm walking out I feel a presence behind me. But I don't dare to turn my head. I'm not weak, I can't be.

"So, the bakery huh?" Peeta said smoothly. Like he planned it.

"Uh, yeah. I needed a job. And I heard that was the only place hiring, so." I get quieter the closer my sentence finishes. Peeta just nods.

"You quit school?" He whispers looking at me. But when our eyes meet, he looks down at his feet.

"Yeah, I mean, I could've passed with all the credits and shit I had, so I wasn't really doing anything bad." I say still looking at him. When he finally looks up he doesn't look like he cares what I have to say anymore.

"Oh, sounds fun. To be able and leave when you want." He shrugs.

"Guess so." I also shrug. We stand there for about a minute before he finally tells me he has to go back inside before his mom finds him out here talking instead of working. "Ok, uh, bye Peeta." He gives me a small wave before entering the bakery. I stare at where he was, I look at what his shoes did to the dirt. His presence, no longer there.

I stand there about a couple minutes before I decide I'm being a freak just staring into the bakery like I have so much interest in baked goods.

On my walk home, I see Gale outside sitting on the porch of his house. He was right, about three houses away from my house. "Nice house." I call to him. He looks up and is shocked that it's me who said something. He stands up and walks to the fence where I am casually standing.

"Thanks. It's as nice as it'll get." He laughs and I smile.

"How's your cheek?" I bite down on my bottom lip.

"Hurts, but I deserved it. You should've did more than just slapped me, Katniss." He looks sincere. I just don't trust him like I did once before.

"I didn't have enough energy to do more." I undo my braid and run my fingers through my hair.

"I hear the rumors, I know." He nods and opens his fence to let me in. I walk in his yard and up to his porch and take his spot where he was sitting. "Yeah, take that spot." He smiles and I smile back.

"Of course you hear the rumors. Everyone in town has heard them, more than once too." I rebraid my hair and he just watches me.

"I just ignore them though, I mean, if they're true, then they're true, but I don't cry if they're not." He sits on the ledge of his porch and we just stare at each other. "Are you in love with him?" Gale whispers.

"I could be, but I'm not so sure. I don't want to open up, and then get torn down again. You make the mistake once." Gale winces.

"I had my reasons, Catnip." No one has called me that since Gale and I have stopped talking. When Gale and I first met, I was so shy, instead of saying Katniss, it came out more along the lines of Catnip. And the nickname has stuck between him and I.

"Yeah, and what if I open up to Peeta, and he has his reasons, and decides to leave? I'm not going through that again. I can't. I've built up too much for him to come and knock them down." I cross my arms over my chest.

"Katniss, I think he already did knock them down." Gale chuckles, kisses the top of my head, and walks inside his house.

Just like I did with Peeta, I stare where Gale just was.

But what was he talking about. They're already knocked down? Knocked down? Peeta Mellark, knocked down my walls? Maybe to my mind, but I'm not sure about my heart. Ok, so maybe that to. I run my fingers through my hair. I can't take it. I'm 17 years old, this is too much for me.

I swore to myself I wasn't going to open up, that I'd never fall in love. But Peeta Mellark changed me. He changed my outlook on life. On love. Maybe love did exist. Maybe my future was brighter than I make it out to be. Maybe I'll be happy.

"Bye Gale." I mumble before making my way to my house.

I need to think about things before I even start falling in love with anyone. But one thing I know right now, Peeta has knocked down every single wall I've built up in the last 3 years. But unlike everyone else, I let him. I let him make me believe again.

Life was always meant living isn't fucking easy. But when you got that special someone, always trying to care for you, make you understand them better. Living is easy. It might not be a complete full rainbow all the time, but you're almost there.

Every smile, and every laugh, is living. And Peeta makes me do all that.

By the time I'm done thinking, I'm home. I open the gate and I take the time to close it. When I walk inside, my mother and Prim are smiling at me. "Someones happy." Prim smiles at me. And I walk over and kiss her on her head.

"Happy because I get to see my beautiful sister and mother." My mother rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, ok. What do you want?" My mother laughed.

"Nothing, but can I ask you two something?" They both nodded at me.

"Should I give Gale another chance?" Prim nodded. She's always been so forgiving. But my mother shrugs.

"It shouldn't matter what we have to think, whatever you want to do is the best choice." Why does she always have to be so confusing with her wise words and great advice.

After I ate with my mother and sister, I headed up to my room with Prim and we decided to draw. After about two hours of talking, laughing, and drawing, she fell asleep on my floor. I picked her up and layed her in bed next to me. I kissed her cheek, turned off my light, and fell asleep next to Prim.

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**Like? I hope. Review? Favorite? Follow? Something? Anything? Please? :D **

**5 reviews will make me happy. c: 5 reviews will get you closer to chapter 5!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I swear, you people just make me want to write non stop. :D **

**So? Questions? Will she forgive Gale? And what will go on at the bakery? Wink wink ;) **

**But thanks for the reviews, favorites, and followers. I'm soo glad you all love the story. Enough talking.**

**Here is.. -drum roll- Chapter 5. :D**

**Enjoy.**

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I stomped down the stairs rubbing my head. I got a horrible headache, not to mention everything going on right now, ugh.

"Someone is in a fantastic mood." Prim giggled sipping some water.

"Yeah yeah. I'm fine. Shouldn't you be in school?" I yawn and look at her. She didn't look ready at all.

"Nope. We have a field trip today, and since we don't have the money to go, I can't." She shrugged.

"I never had a field trip while I was in sixth grade. Damnit." I muttered.

When I was in the sixth grade, everyone was just hitting puberty, so, you can just imagine how loud and smelly they all were. I shudder at the thought.

"I need to get ready for the bakery." I moaned putting my hair in its usual braid.

"Well have a good day at work." Prim kisses my forehead and skips to the living room. Always so damn perky.

After putting on some fresh clothes, I made my walk to the bakery. As I passed Gale's house, I saw him reading the newspaper, like an old man. He's nineteen and already acting as if he's 57? Weirdo.

"Hey." He says waving not looking down from his newspaper.

"Uh, hi." I keep walking, I'm already late and I don't need to be behind on my second day of work. Gale stood up and started to walk towards the gate. "I shouldn't be talking, I need to get to work." I said so he knows I'm not wanting to chit-chat right now.

"Oh, ok. Well, have a good day then." I could tell he was frowning even when he had his head down.

I start walking a little faster to the bakery. I'm secretly hoping Peeta will be there because I miss his pretty blue eyes, but then I'm hoping he's not, because I don't need another reason to cry because I miss him too much.

When I entered the bakery, all I saw was Mr. Mellark, Peeta, and two other boys that were probably Peeta's brothers. I gulped. I was about to turn around and head back out seeing as their having a family meeting or something, but Mr. Mellark stopped me before I could make my first run from it.

"Ah, Katniss dear. Come in. We're just finishing up here." I nodded and kept where I was. I didn't want to move because I felt like they were all staring at me, and if I moved, I'd probably trip or something.

Once I felt like they were all done staring at me, and I heard they're footsteps leave the room, I moved behind the counter with Mr. Mellark. "Sorry about that." He chuckled. Sorry? Sorry doesn't even begin.

"It's fine, it is your bakery." I laughed nervously.

"So, you're going to be going out back with Peeta, and help him repaint the bakery. Sounds fun right?" He smiles at me. Even with his green eyes, he reminds me so much of Peeta. WAIT. Did he say I have to work with Peeta today? Oh dear. Where's a bucket when you need one?

"Oh, uh, sure." He pointed to the door in the back and I walked over to it. I turned the knob and stepped into the back of the bakery. I gulped when I saw Peeta. He was only wearing shorts and a low.. low.. v-neck t-shirt. I clapped my hands together trying to stop them from shaking, but I couldn't.

"You going to help, or just stand there staring at me all day?" Peeta smiled at me. I need a cane or something, my knees are all wobbly.

"Uh, help I guess." I slowly walked to where Peeta was. I was afraid if I walked any faster, I might trip and fall or something.

"Just hold the ladder, and I'll do the painting." He didn't look at me as he said this, but he still had that little smile that I love so much going on. I just nodded, not caring if he saw me or not. If I try and speak, I might stutter.

For about fifteen minutes, I was holding onto the ladder. Trying not to faint because of the sight when I looked up at Peeta Mellark. He was, woo. You don't even want to know. So, when the sun officially came up, Peeta decided it was great to just take his shirt off. That's when my knees gave up on me and I fell over. Peeta just laughed and laughed for a whole five or so minutes. And as coincidently as it is, when Peeta took his shirt off, his muscles in all the right places where flexing when he tossed it back.

"You're not even doing any of the work, and you're sweating." Peeta laughed and shook his head as he stared down at me. Oh, I'm not sweating because of the heat. "What was that?" Peeta looked at me.

Did I say that out loud? Shit. I just shook my head, hoping he forgets. Thankfully he did and we went back into that whole quiet work day thing.

Once we were finished, he took his t-shirt, and wiped his face with it. I forced myself to look away, because if I kept staring, I'd be drooling. "Looks like we're done out here." Wait, we're done?

"What about the front?"

"We do that closer to when the bakery is closing. We don't want to scare off the customers with the bad paint smell." I nodded in understanding. He put the ladder away and I sat on the ground waiting for him to say something to me. Anything.

I want him to tell me why he all of a sudden ignored me. Why he looked like he's been crying. Why he has massive bags under his eyes. Why do I care so much? _Because he's your best friend, dumbass._

Peeta walked out of the shed after putting the ladder away, he sat down next to me on the ground. I didn't know what to say, all those questions I had, didn't seem so right to ask. They were stupid to ask, because I shouldn't be caring so much.

I didn't know how long we sat there. I was waiting for him to talk, he was probably waiting for me to talk. "What are you guys doing out here still?" One of his brothers came out the back door asking us. He was looking between Peeta and I. Probably trying to find out what was going on. If you had any idea.

"Just enjoying the day." Peeta looked up at his brother. I looked over at Peeta. He looked more than pissed. Was he about to say something? What was he going to say?

"Oh, was I interrupting something?" His brother smirked at Peeta. Doesn't his brother know I'm _that _poor girl that everyone talks about? Of course he does, everyone knows.

"Yeah, you kinda did. So can you leave?" Peeta snapped. His brother put his hands up showing Peeta he wasn't going to argue and went back inside. "God damn."

"You ok?" After that snap from Peeta, I was scared. Not for my life, but that he would yell at me too.

"I'm fine. Perfectly fucking dandy." Peeta just snapped. At me? I glared at him.

"You don't have to be so fucking pissy. You want to borrow some tampons? I have some extra." I rolled my eyes.

"No thanks." He mumbled running his fingers through his hair. "We need to talk." He voice sounds, sniffly?

"Uh, ok. Then lets talk." I look away from him and down to my feet.

"I'm graduating from school early.." He mumbles. "I have enough credits to pass, my grades are fine, so I can without any complications." Everything has complications, Peeta Mellark.

"Ok.. And?" I still don't get it. He's making this seem like such a big deal.

"And.. that's it." I could tell there was more that he wasn't telling me, but I let him drop it. I don't need to make him anymore pissed at me than he already is. Or was.

We both stood up and went back inside. Mr. Mellark gave me broom and told me to sweep.

Once I was done sweeping, I wiped off the counter. Then when I was done wiping off the counter, he told me some stories. But something came out of his mouth, that wasn't suppose to.

"Peeta's going to college early, did ya hear? He won't be able to work here anymore." After he finished what he was saying, and saw my reaction, he realized that he shouldn't have said it.

Peeta.. Is leaving? For college? He won't be working here? So that means.. It's a far college. I stay quiet for a couple of minutes, not sure what to say. I want to cry, throw up, and leave all at the same time.

"Oh.." I nod my head slowly. I could hear my stomach growl, but I think it was telling me to run to the closes bathroom, not that I was hungry.

"Was Peeta the one that was supposed to tell you..?" His father asked rubbing the back of his neck. Just like his son.

"I'm not so sure." I was angry. And still feeling sick. I wanted to do more than just throw up right now. I wanted to find Peeta and punch him in the face.

My wish came true, because Peeta came in the door and he must have realized my green face, and my dads worried expression.

He was about to turn away and not show us his face, but his father stopped him. "Get over here and talk to this girl." He father demanded him. I wanted to hit his father now.

"I don't have anything to say to her." Peeta looked at his father.

His father pushed Peeta towards me and I was ready to punch him in the face. "You're leaving, for college?" I was getting ready to cry.

"You should've known, I mean. I wouldn't just tell you that I graduated early for nothing." Peeta rolled his eyes.

"We were best friends a week ago, I told you everything. And you couldn't simply tell me that you were leaving far away for fucking college?" I was crying. I could feel the tears falling out of my eyes and I couldn't stop them.

"You should've put two and two together, Katniss." He wasn't looking at me.

"I didn't think you'd be leaving." I stood up and walked out of the bakery. He followed after me.

"You should've realized that nothing last forever." He's lying. Someone please tell me he's lying.

"I believed that, until I met you. Then everything changed." There, until I met him. He should know that once we met, everything changed. It was sunnier, fall actually felt like fall.

"Bullshit. I didn't change shit in your life." I looked up at him, into his blue eyes. His deep ocean blue eyes.

"You did. You changed everything!" I was crying harder now. More like sobbing actually.

"Like what?" He laughed, but it wasn't because it was funny. It was because this is stupid.

"Don't you worry about it." I started to walk away again but he grabbed my arm.

"I'm going to worry about it, so tell me."

"Why? It doesn't matter. We aren't friends. We aren't anything to each other. I just work at your parents bakery. I'm nothing to you." I pulled my arm out of his hold, and walked home. I could feel him behind me, no matter how much I tried to ignore me. He was there.

"Can you stop following me?" I say as I stopped walking so I could look at him.

"I can't. Not until you tell me. How did I change your life?" He looked like he was ready to cry as well. I was still crying my damn eyes out.

"You just, made me believe again. In everything." His eyes got glassy and a tear felt out of his eyes. I couldn't look at him anymore. It didn't matter.

I started walking home, and this time, he wasn't following me.

Once I got to my house, I broke down at the porch. No one came out to see if I was ok, and I was happy with that. I just want to be alone. I needed to be alone. I can't take sympathy anymore. Even though that's all I needed.

All I, Katniss Everdeen, ever needed, was sympathy. Even when I said no.

* * *

**A lot happened in this chapter. So. The Gale thing will be up next chapter, if you're lucky. **

**But first, will Peeta leave or stay? What is Katniss going to do? I think, personally, she needs more than just one friend at the moment. But things will happen and hopefully, this will be a happy ending, but you'll have to wait and find out, won't ya? c: **

**But Peeta shirtless? Yum. I was imagining that in my head and drooling as I was writing it.**

**But, 5-10 reviews and I will be happy. If I get 10 reviews, I'll post a chapter a day. :D **

**So! Review, favorite, follow. ANYTHING. **

**Oh, and if you have questions, feel free to PM me. But make sure I can PM back. And, if you need any guy or lady advice, I'm here. I'm not great giving myself advice, but I can give others wonderful advice. So again. **

**Ps: If you're enjoying this story, start reading my other Hunger Games story. That won't disappoint you all either, hopefully. :D**

**Review, Favorite, Follow, PM me. Anything. Review for more shirtless Peeta. Or Gale. c:**

**Ok bye my loves. xx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok, so a lot happened last chapter, right? Yeah. **

**So a lot of things will continue to happen. **

**And, as I was thinking through last chapter and now, I know how I want this story to end, but the way things will end, there might be a sequel. Will you all read the sequel if I wrote one to continue this? Or should I just let it end when it ends? :D Review or PM me to let me know. I will listen to all the possibilities you ALL tell me. **

**Anyways, here is the chapter you have all been waiting for; 6!**

**Hope you like. c:**

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After my crying episode, I went inside. I didn't feel like socializing with my family, so went straight up to my bedroom and fell asleep. Took an hour to try and sleep, but I got there.

And right when I woke up, I started to cry again. I had no idea why I was even crying so much. Peeta and I only met about two weeks ago. Who knew that you could get attached to someone in two weeks. I didn't, until now.

Luckily, no one came up to my room and bothered me. Because if someone probably did, I'd scream at them until they left me in peace.

It's around noon now, and I don't want to go downstairs, but my stomach is growling at me, begging me to eat something. I started to walk downstairs, but tripped on the last step.

"Great." I mutter before sitting down at the table in the kitchen.

"Glad to see you're alive." My mother looked at me concerned.

"Sadly." I lay my head on the table. I feel someone rub my back and know it's Prim. They must know. Everyone must know by now.

"Peeta was over earlier, Katniss." The table wobbled, so someone must have sat down, that someone being my mother.

Wait, did she say Peeta was over? Yeah, probably to make sure I was fired. But I didn't care, I was supposed to be at the bakery now anyways, but I wasn't getting up. I wasn't going back into town ever again.

"What did he want?" I said acting like I care. I had to erase any memories of that boy. He's turned my life upside down. And I know it was for worse.

"He wanted me to give you this." I looked up and saw her push an envelope towards me. I just stared at it. Should I read it? _No. The faster you forget him, the better you'll be in the future. _

My inner thoughts were right. The faster I forget him, the more easier I'll be able to move on with my life.

I reached over and took it and ripped it in half. "I don't have to listen to one word he says." I tossed it into the trash can and got something to drink.

"He might be saying something important, Kat." Prim whined. She wants me to read it, because she was curious.

"Listen, if you want to read it, go ahead. But don't tell me what it's about, not one word, from either of you." They both nodded and Prim skipped over to the trash can and took it out. She carefully put the two pieces of ripped paper back together and in front of my mother.

I rolled my eyes and went back up to my room to take a bath.

While I was getting dressed, I saw a picture turned upside on my bedside table. I walked over to it and flipped it back over. It was a picture of my dad and I. He use to take me hunting with him before he died. Before he was shipped off and killed.. Once we found out he died, everything from our house was put away that reminded us of him, I secretly kept the picture, because it was my only memory of him.

I sat on my bed and held the picture to my chest. After he died, I felt like there was no need to keep hunting, I know in my heart that if I were still hunting, we'd have more food in the house. My father taught me everything he knew. I wasn't the best, but I was close enough.

Placing the picture slighty back upside down on my bedside table, I continued to get dressed. When I was done, I brushed my hair.

The girl in the mirror staring back at me didn't look the same. She looked more vulnerable than she has in forever. I put my hair in a braid and went downstairs. My mother and Prim were whispering to each other. The only words I could make out were letter, Katniss, and oh my.

"Stop talking about that damn letter." I muttered before eating a slice of cheese that was sitting on the table.

My mother and Prim both jumped when they heard my voice. Probably scared them, I thought.

"You should just read it. It's not that bad." Prim set the taped envelope on the table in front of me. I'm not gonna lie, it was tempting. But forgetting is easier than crying about it.

"I don't want to cry over Peeta Mellark. Ever again." Prim dropped the subject, thankfully. Because I love her too much to argue with her. She's too sweet to argue with.

I asked my mother later on that day to call the bakery and tell them I won't be coming in for awhile. They understand, because they know. My mother even asked them about Peeta, and they said something back but my mother did not tell me. She was going to but I glared at her telling her not to.

**Next Day-**

I've dragged ass all day. Even all night.

My mother and Prim kept begging me to read the letter. And the more they bring it up, the more I'm tempted.

I walked into the kitchen where my mother and Prim were both doing crossword puzzles. Prim gets more like my mother more and more each day.

"I think.. I want to go back to school." I said sitting down across from them.

My mother nodded and Prim clapped her hands together in excitement. I smiled a bit at them and grabbed my bag and headed on my way to school. Mom said she'd call the bakery and tell them I can't work for them because I've decided to go back to school.

I didn't care if they were going to make fun of me, or if Peeta was there. I'd just ask for the basic classes, that way I could get out early.

When I eventually got to school, I'd walked into the office building. The secretary that gave me my leaving slip smiled at me and nodded in understanding, probably.

"Welcome back, Ms. Everdeen." She handed me my papers in all about two seconds. She must've known I'd be back. "Here's a new schedule, have a good day." I took the papers and walked to Biology.

When I walked into the biology room, the teacher smiled while everyone else rolled their eyes. Assholes. I saw Cato in the back of the classroom, still sporting that broken nose. I sit in the only empty desk in the room and realize I'm in the middle of the classroom. Where everyone can stare at me. Great. The whole class period, I try not to think about all the people who are probably staring at me.

When the bell rang, I got up and walked out. Not rushing because I don't want to show weakness. This is like a fresh start for me. Luckily, I wasn't behind that bad in Biology. I didn't miss much.

I looked at my schedule and saw AP English. English reminds me of journalism. And journalism reminds me of Mellark. I put that thought in the back of my head and make my way towards AP English.

When I enter the classroom, theres only a couple students in there and the teacher. People must be stalling in the hallway. It's too bad that I love this class.

I find a seat in the back of classroom and I don't focus on anything the teacher says the whole class period. I'm too focused on Gale and I. Yes, I said Gale.

Gale and I have been through a lot, but he left me. _So did Peeta, dummie. _I run my fingers through my hair trying to think of which of those two I should be thinking about.

It was natural that I think about Peeta after our intense friendship/relationship we had going on. But Gale and I needed to get through some things. But it was up to me. It wasn't like he had any say in this anymore. He left me, so, I should be the one thinking about if Gale and I should be talking or not.

Class finally ended and I ran to History. And I mean ran. When I got to the only History classroom in this school, there was a couple making out on a couple of desk pushed together. I cough and they stopped, but they didn't stop touching each other. They were rubbing each others arms and whispering to each other. I tried not to gag. What a great class this is.

History went by in a blast. And I paid attention to some of half of what the teacher was saying, the other half I was too focused on a piece of his hair sticking straight up on his head. I was just so tempted to walk up to him and tape it down.

Next was Calculus. But I couldn't focus. I didn't want to. I want to go and find Peeta. I miss him. I know I shouldn't, but I want to find him and run up and give him a big kiss and tell him I was being stupid for protecting myself. Then I wanted to run up to Gale and give him a big hug, because I've missed him. And I know I shouldn't miss Gale of all people, but lifes too short to hold grudges.

I know Gale made a mistake, and I know Peeta has regrets too, but it's life.

Calculus was just me taking notes while everyone else had to make up tests they failed. And I mean EVERYONE.

When Calculus was over, I pratically ran out of the school and towards my house. I was going to go to my house, freshen up, figure out what I want to say and what I don't want to say, and be done with it. And then I'd go find Peeta and we'd live happily ever after. Just like we were suppose to..

I passed Gale's house and he's sitting on his porch, like always.

"Do you ever work?" I call to him but don't stop moving. I saw him smile.

"You mean school? I can't do both, I'd be too crammed." I nodded. "Well, I got a computer, so I can go to school online whenever I want. I'm taking a break right now because my ass hurts from sitting down at my damn metal chair and desk." He finished his sentence and I was almost past his house.

"GOTTA GO. BYE." I yell. He waves and I jog to my house.

When I get to my house, I throw my bag across the room and run upstairs. I skip every other step.

"Katniss, what in the world are you doing?" My mother laughed and tossed my bag on my bed.

"I'm going to see Peeta." I beamed at her. My mother frowned and looked down. "Shit. Mom.. What don't I know?" I asked her.

"It's not my place to tell, Katniss. But why don't you go there after Prim gets home and after we've all sat down and had dinner." I sigh and nod in agreement.

"Fine fine. When does Prim get home?" I follow her down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Around three." I look over at the clock on the wall and see it's 2:05. I guess I can wait a couple hours.

"Alrighty." I smile at her and I help her prepare dinner.

It wasn't much of a dinner, just some bread and some chicken my mother paid for, but it was worth it; it smelled like heaven.

When Prim arrived home from school, we all talked about our day and we even played Sorry. After we played Sorry, we all sat at the kitchen table and ate our dinner.

After I was done eating, my mother placed the envelope in front of me. "You should read this first before you make any decisions on what you're going to do about Peeta."

I sigh and look between my mother and sister. Then I grab the envelope and go to sit on the couch in our living space.

They don't come out with me either. They probably think I need to be alone. I'm thinking they're right. This must be an intense letter I'm about to read.

I slowly open the taped envelope and look at the page filled with Peeta's handwriting. I almost cry just at the look of the letter. The letter he touched. The letter he held. I looked more closely at the letter, and notice there's a smudge. Like he was crying or something while writing this.

I gulp and then read.

_Dear Katniss,  
Things are complicated, I know. Between you and I. Between you and Gale.  
And even with your mother and you. When I moved into town, I'd never  
expect that someone like you would have such a great impact on my life.  
But there's something I've been hiding from you since I've first met you.  
You've been the love of my life since I walked in that classroom the first day  
I've arrived here. I honestly didn't care about them other kids and what they  
had to say about you. Because I knew I was a goner when I saw those killer  
grey eyes and that hair in a braid. But things changed when you told me about  
your family. And I knew that you were a goner too. You just didn't want to  
admit it to me or to anyone else. I know people have left you, and I didn't  
plan on doing that, but now I have to. Katniss Everdeen, I love with my  
whole heart and my entire being. But I need to go to college early. I need  
to clear my head of what you and I are going to do when I get back. I'll  
only be gone for 4 months, and when I get back, I hope you have made  
up your mind about us. I hope you know what you plan on doing  
when I get back. Nothings going to change how I feel about you or  
how in love with you I possibly am. Just promise me one thing?_

_Wait for me.  
I love you, Katniss. _

_-Peeta M._

I cry. I cry and cry and cry. He left me. For four long months. A month can feel like a year. How is four months going to feel? Without Peeta? Without my best friend..?

My mother and Prim came in and rubbed my back and hugged me. They probably heard me crying. I didn't want to cry, but I needed to. I was holding back so much about how I've been feeling for these past two weeks. And every word in that letter made sense.

He did need to think about things. And I did as well. I just hope to god it doesn't take as long as it sounds. Because truth is. I'm in love with Peeta Mellark. And I need him.

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**THERE YOU HAVE IT. CHAPTER SIX. **

**So. Thoughts? Don't be mad, don't be mad. I promise it won't take a billion chapters til Peeta returns. **

**But I've loved the reviews I got and they have given me much thought about how I plan on working out things. But please please please! Review, favorite, follow. PM me about problems you have or love problems you have. **

**I'm here to help as much as I can. **

**But anyways. What did you think about that letter that Peeta wrote? AND MATTER OF FACT. KATNISS ADMITTED SHE IS IN LOVE WITH PEETA. That makes twenty million teenage girls as it is, lmao. **

**But again, review, favorite. I'm hoping to get five reviews, but 10 is even better. (:**

**Review for faster updates and more chapters. (: and more of Peeta shirtless.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Amazing. You readers are absolutely amazing. :D **

**I loved your thoughts about last chapter as well. They're very interesting and maybe I'll put some of your ideas into this story. Before Peeta comes back right? Because, Katniss does have to think about things before PK stuff happens. (: **

**So now. Here it is. So none of you fall out of your seats from anticipation. :D **

**Chapter seven of This Is Not Love.**

**Hope you all LOVE it.**

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I didn't crawl all over the place because of the letter. I kept it under my pillow every night and read it before I went to bed. For some weird reason, I thought it smelled like him. It smelled like his soap and the bread at the bakery.

And every time I read it, I touch the smudge where one of his tears must have fallen.

So, it's been about a week since I've read the letter. That means a week since Peeta has been gone.

It doesn't feel any different, only when I'm sitting alone at school and looking out at the rain and remembering one day when Peeta and I were like five-year olds playing in puddles and running around like nothing else mattered in the world.

But this is reality, and even though some fairy tales do exist, you must have every little problem, before everything can be completely perfect.

My mother told me that if Peeta comes back, and we're still crazy about each other, than we should be together. But if Peeta comes back, and we're distant, and everything between us is weird, then him and I being together is not worth it.

I hope that everything between him and I is perfect. Because I don't want us to be distant. We've already been through too much for everything to fall apart because we were too far away from each other to move forward with anything.

It's around Thanksgiving break. That means a feast. We usually save a lot of money for holidays and sometimes birthdays.

"I never heard perfection, til I heard you speak." I hum when I walk down into the kitchen.

"Heard who speak?" Prim giggled. I hugged her and told her it was a song I've heard a while ago.

"A fool to let you slip away." I pull her up and sway her against me. Like we were dancing. She just kept laughing and I kept humming.

"Maybe we're better off this way. I'm not fine. I'm in pain. It's harder everyday! It's better that we break!" I sing loudly and Prim makes a sad face going along with the song.

"It's not right. It's not ok." I whisper the words and Prim looks at me.

"You ok?" She rubbed my shoulders. I smiled at her.

"Yeah, trying to create the mood for the song." I squeeze her tight before going to the cabinet and getting a cup down. I poured some hot tea left over from yesterday into the cup and drank it. Ok, so, it wasn't hot. But it was.

"Waking up is hard to do." Prim sang. I whipped around and looked at her with amazed eyes. She knew the song?

"Everything reminds me of you." I sang back to her.

"You think I'm insane." Prim smiles and does her crossword puzzle.

"Maybe we're better of this way." I mumble and look down at my feet.

"You and Peeta will live happily ever ever ever. So stop thinking the worst. You're an Everdeen. We think positive." Yeah, then she must not be an Everdeen.

"Not since, ya know.. Dad died.." I ran my fingers through my hair and bite my bottom lip.

"It's not going to be the same, but that doesn't mean we should be negative." She closed her crossword puzzle and looks at me. "Yeah sure. Peeta left. But he said he'd be back. Four months, Katniss. It isn't that long if you just keep your mind busy." Then she stood up and was out the door.

She did have a point. I mean, don't some people say if you stare at a clock it'll go by slower? Because you're thinking about it too much. But when you're not looking at the clock, it goes by in a blur, because it wasn't on your mind that much.

Maybe Prim was right. If I didn't think about Peeta as much, these four months will go by in a blur. But if I keep looking at the date, and rereading the letter, and looking outside the window waiting for him to show up, it'll be a longer four months.

So I'll stop. I'll stop thinking about how much he's still a memory in this stupid town. This stupid town that made me hate life.

It's going to be hard. But, it's for the best. At least I think it is.

I walk outside and look around at the surrounding houses and the kids playing in the street. Gale. The first thing that came to my mind other than you know who. I start walking towards his house and when I stand in front of his house, he's not sitting outside on his porch. Hm, that's weird.

I opened his gate and walked up his sidewalk to his door. Before I even knocked, he swung the door open.

"Oh, hey." He smiles at me. I smile back.

"Hey. Uh, are you busy? I can go." I turn around and start walking off his porch. But his voice stops me.

"Nah, stay. Please?" He says. I turn around and look at him. He's staring right back at me. I nod and he opens the door to let me inside. I walk up past him and inside his home. I see someone sitting on his couch so I don't walk any further.

"You have company? I would've left." I say to him as he walks past me. I walk with him.

"You don't have to leave. We wanted to play Xbox and now we can have more people to play." Gale says to me as he sits down on the floor. He pats the floor next to him and I sit down.

The guy on the couch is cute. He has dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and has piercings all over his ears. I wouldn't pass him on the street and expect him to be friends with Gale.

"Cinna, this is Katniss. Katniss, this is Cinna." Cinna holds out his hand and I shake it.

"Nice to meet you, Katniss." Cinna smiles at me.

"Same same." I smile back at him. I'm doing a lot of smiling today.

"So, let's get to playing." Gale says breaking off the eye contact Cinna and I had going on.

"I think I'm just going to watch." I say and Gale nods.

So we sit in Gale's living room for about two hours laughing, taking turns playing Call of Duty, and stuffing each other's faces. It was actually really fun and I wouldn't expect myself to enjoy doing this. Even with Gale and his friend Cinna that is actually pretty talkative.

At around 7:30 we decide to all go out to eat. Cinna said he'd pay for my way since I don't have any money. We argued with each other for a while then when I got quiet, he took that as a sign of him winning. I didn't continue to argue because I don't want to fight with a new friend. Did I just say friend? Yes, yes I did.

We all decided to walk to the restaurant instead of driving there because it wasn't that far away from Gale's house.

When we arrived at the restaurant, everyone stared. Of course, I think to myself. Cinna gets us a table and we all follow the hostess.

The song playing in the background and was so quiet, I could barely make it out, but I still could hear it, was Last Kiss by Taylor Swift.

I sang myself to sleep with this song before I read that letter Peeta sent over.

We sit down at the table we were given and Gale and Cinna start talking about sports. I zone out. Sports are not my thing. Never were.

"_Never imagined we'd end like this." _I sing quietly to myself.

When I look up, Gale and Cinna are staring at me and I blush and look down.

"Since when do you sing?" Gale chuckles before looking at his menu.

"It's always been a hidden talent I guess." I open my menu as well.

"Do it more often then. I like it." Gale mutters before telling our waitress what he wants.

After all of us gave her our orders, she gives Gale a wink and collects our menu's. I scoff when she walks off and roll my eyes.

"Why you scoffing and rolling your damn eyes?" Gale chuckles.

"Because she was obviously flirting, dumbass." Cinna agrees and chuckles.

"She was not, but ok." Gale shakes his head at me and changes the subject. "Cinna you spending the night tonight?"

Then Cinna and Gale got into this whole different conversation about if Cinna was going to spend the night after dinner and what they were going to do. They were like 15 year olds all over again.

We ate all like slobs. And we were all cracking up because everyone was staring at us.

After we were done eating, we started walking home. Gale ran up ahead so he could buy some goodies for Cinna and him tonight.

Cinna and I were walking and it was actually very comfortable.

"How did you and Gale meet?" I ask him.

"College. Well, he was hitting on my girlfriend and didn't know it. And my girlfriend broke up with him for him, so I was going to go beat his ass, but Gale explained it and we just.. Became friends after that." Cinna smiles at the memory.

"Sounds like a Gale thing." I mutter.

"It still is a Gale thing. He hits on girls everyday. But he hasn't done it since he's moved back here. So he says." Cinna says.

"Oh, did you more here with him? Or no?" I was curious. Cinna was a good friend, and I needed all the friends I can get.

"I have a nose about fifteen minutes away from here. Maybe you can come visit with Gale next time." He smiles at me.

"I'd like that." I smile widely at him.

"I would too." He wraps his arm around me in a friendly way.

"Sometimes, all you need is friends." I hum. I replaced all you need is love with all you need is friends. Because, you can't have love if you don't have friendship.

"You need friends? It's hard imagining someone like you not having friends." We stopped walking and we turned to face each other.

"Yeah, at my school. Being poor is like being a rock. They toss you and throw you around without caring."

"You're poor?" Cinna looks surprised. Now I got to expect him to leave and never speak to me again.

"Yeah, pretty much. I get look down upon because of it." I stare at him. I'm waiting for a sign that he's going to leave me or he's disgusted that he had his arm around a poor person.

"Well, tell people at your school, to suck your dick." Cinna pulls me back to his side and we continue to walk.

"If only that were true." I cracked up and Cinna started to laugh too.

We found Gale waiting impatiently at a stop sign. He looks about ready to have a temper tantrum.

"What the fuck took you guys so long?" Gale crosses his arms over his chest.

I giggle. "Cinna and I were having a heart to heart conversation. Suck my dick." Cinna and I were literally rolling on the floor laughing our asses because. Gale had no idea what we were talking about.

"Did you both get high?" We both shook our heads. "Ok, then shut up and lets get back to my house before I decide I'm going to eat all this food by myself."

We all walked back to Gale's house slowly. None of us were in a hurry anymore.

When we got to Gale's house, Prim was standing outside with an envelope in her hand. I ran up to her, leaving Cinna alone and grab the letter.

"It's from Peeta." She smiles at me. I try and hold in my excitement.

I looked at the envelope and notice it wasn't opened yet.

"You didn't read it?" I looked at her curiously.

"Nope. Mom said they're all yours, now that you read the last one anyways." Prim laughed and walked away.

"Thanks Little Duck!" I call to her.

I turn around and wait for Cinna and Gale to catch up to me. When they reach me, Gale asks about the letter.

"From Peeta." I smile down at the letter.

"Oh." Was all he said.

Cinna asked who Peeta was and I gave him the whole story about Peeta. Cinna 'oohed' and 'awed' at every sweet or sad moment I explained.

After giving the story to Cinna, he was bugging me to open it and read it.

I slowly ripped open the envelope and Peeta's smell hit me and I almost fainted. It was him alright. I knew his smell from miles away. I opened the letter and saw his neat and gorgeous handwriting that makes my heart jump out of my chest every time I look at it.

"Read it out loud." Cinna laid down in front of me.

I started to read.

_"Katniss,_

_Being so far away from you, is killing me.  
I'm thinking about your everyday and every night.  
I fall asleep to your voicemail you left me a week  
after we met. You're laughing and telling me I'm  
your best friend. But now I know you love me,  
so it's different. Anything to hear your voice though,  
love. I can't write long, but I just want to let  
you know I'm thinking about you, and I love you. _

_Bye Babe, Love Peeta."_

When I was done reading, Cinna was tearing up and Gale was rolling his eyes and muttering cuss words under his breath.

"That was legit a sexy letter." Cinna smiles. I smile at the letter.

Peeta is thinking about me, so I know he isn't just ignoring the thought of me like I should be doing of him.

"You're in love with him aren't you?" Cinna asks me, still smiling.

I saw Gale look at me and I nod. "I'm madly in love with him." I sigh happily.

"That's so cute. Like, oh my god." Gale mocks us.

"Gale, shut up. You're just mad because no one will write a love letter to you." I stick my tongue out at him.

"I don't need anyone to write me love letters." Gale turned on his TV and blocked Cinna and I out.

"Just forget him. He's being a party pooper." I reread the letter to myself instead of out loud.

Cinna and Gale watch TV while I lay across the floor with my head on Cinna's lap.

The guys are watching sports when I start to doze off. I yawn and fall asleep.

I wake up in the middle of the night in a bedroom. I'm guessing it's a guest bedroom because it actually looks clean. If it were Gale's it'd be messy as fuck. After looking around the room for a minute, I see the letter on the bedside table. I smile and fall back to sleep.

Good night.

* * *

**DID YOU LIKE? **

**Another Peeta letter. (:**

**Cinna has made an appearance.**

**And a jealous Gale? **

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	8. Chapter 8

**Loving the reviews. They're making me happy. Like, happy happy happy. :D **

**Anyways, I love the ideas you all are giving me. Some of them I will be happy do use, and some I'll need some more to think about it. **

**But, to reality. I don't get along great with my family anymore. :/ So my mother said she's going to take my laptop away if I don't go to school. And she wants me to go to school when I'm sick, like throwing up and all. (Sorry for you weak stomachs). So, I don't know what will happen. :/ It's not going to stop me from writing though. I promise.**

**But anyways, here's Chapter 8. (: **

**Hope you guys like it.**

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, I smelled something heavenly.

I climbed out of bed and walked downstairs torwards the kitchen. When I got in the kitchen, Gale and Cinna were eating some eggs and toast.

My mouth was watering just looking at the eggs on an extra plate set between the two.

"Stop drooling and just eat, you fat ass." Gale says with his mouth full of food.

"I'm a fat ass? Me? You should see your mouth from this end. It isn't pretty. You're the fat ass over here. Not me." I roll my eyes and smile. Gale sticks his tongue out and shows me the food on his tongue and I gag. "EW GALE. STOP THAT." I hit his shoulder and he swallows the food.

"Yeah, you are a fat ass. Katniss plus fat ass is.. Uh.." He taps his chin. "FATNISS." I raise one of my eyebrows and look at him.

"Fatniss? Really?" Cinna chuckles. I glare at Cinna, and then at Gale.

"If either one of you, call me Fatniss. I will never speak to either of you two again." I threaten them.

"Ok Fatniss." Gale laughs.

"Alright, bye." I stand up and walk to the door and put my shoes on. Gale follows me and grabs my arm before I walk out the door.

"Don't leave, I was only kidding." He pleads.

"Yeah, whatever." I look down at my feet.

"Catnip, I'm sorry." He pouts. I can't help but slightly forgive him. "Forgive me?" He opens his arms up for me to hug him.

I huff out a breath and hug him. "Yeah, I guess I forgive you." I whisper into his chest.

"Good." He whispers back.

Gale pulls me back in the kitchen and we continue to eat our breakfast.

After breakfast, Cinna went to his house to freshen up before coming back over and taking us into his part of town. The rich part.

Gale walks me to my house and when we get to the gate of my house, I hear Gale sigh.

"What's wrong?" I look up at him. He looks sad.

"I just wish... Nevermind." He turns around and starts walking back to his house.

"You wish what?" I say. He isn't that far away from me, so I know he hears me.

He stops walking and turns back around and we face each other. We aren't that close, but close enough to be able to hear each other.

"I wish we never stopped talking. I wish I never stopped being your friend. I wish that we were close like we use to be." He stops talking and it hits me. I wasn't the only one hurting when Gale and I stopped talking. He might have left, but he still missed me. "I wish I got to you first.." Then he turns around and I don't call after him.

What does he mean? He wish he got to me first?

I stand outside my house for a minute, before walking inside and taking a shower and getting ready. While I was in the shower, I thought about what Gale said to me.

_"I wish I got to you first.." _

What does that even mean? He wishes he got to me first. First for what? There was a line? A LINE FOR WHAT?

I close my eyes and let the water run over my face. It feels good. Too good. I turn off the water and stand in front of the mirror looking at myself.

The girl in the mirror looks, vulnerable. She's changed. She knows it. A lot has happened in a months time. She's only 17, and she can't keep count of all the feelings she's been having.

I walk in my room and get dressed in the nicest outfit I own. It's a little black dress. The last time I wore this dress, I was with Peeta and we were dancing in the rain after playing in the puddles. I run my fingers through my hair and sigh. I slip on flip-flops and walk downstairs and outside.

I have no idea where Prim and my mother, probably working, but this isn't the day for them. This is the day where I let ALL my guards down.

When I stand in front of Gale's house, he's sitting on his porch, like always.

"I'm back." I say opening his gate and walking up on the porch. He just stares at me, not saying a word. After a minute or so of silence, he finally says something.

"Nice dress." I can't help but blush.

"Thanks." Then it gets silent again. I decide to make small talk. "Where's Cinna?" I ask him.

"He got sick. He said to go without him, so I've been waiting for you." Gale stands up and walks past me. I finally see that there's a car in his driveway.

He gets in his car and looks at me. I realize I have to follow him, and sit down in his car too.

Gale turns on the radio. I'm taking that as a hint that I shouldn't try to make small talk.

After about a fifteen minute car ride, we get into the city. I need sunglasses from all the lights. Gale pulls up to this very nice looking club/restaurant.

"It's pretty." I mutter getting out of his car and following him inside. He doesn't respond. He gets us a table in the crowded place, and we sit down. I look at him. He doesn't dare say a word to me.

"Is there a reason why you keep staring at me?" He finally says, but doesn't look up.

"Just trying to figure out why you haven't said a word to me since we got in and out of your car." I bite my bottom lip nervously.

"Because there's nothing to say." He snaps.

Then I get quiet. What does he want me to say? I still don't understand what he meant when he said he wished he got to me first.

We ordered our food, but that was the only time he and I said a word. But it wasn't to each other. We didn't even say a word to each other when we were eating. I look over at the clock on the wall and saw that it's 6:43pm.

"I can't do this." I mutter before standing up and walk towards the entrance. Someone grabs my arm and by the grasp, I know it's Gale.

"Why do I have to keep stopping you from leaving?" He says.

"You didn't tell me you wanted me to stay." I look at him.

"I didn't say I wanted you to go." He did have a point there.

I look up into his eyes, and see he's begging me with his eyes.

"Ok. I'll stay." He gives me a small smile before pulling me on the dance floor. A song was just ending, and a new song was just beginning. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I wrap my arms around his neck. He pulls me close.

Then a slow song comes on.

_Seems like just yesterday_  
_You were a part of me_  
_I used to stand so tall_  
_I used to be so strong_  
_Your arms around me tight_  
_Everything, it felt so right._

Gale pulls me tighter against him.

_Unbreakable, like nothing' could go wrong  
Now I can't breathe  
No, I can't sleep  
I'm barely hanging on._

I feel a tear fall from my cheek. I realize then that I'm crying.

_Here I am, once again_  
_I'm torn into pieces_  
_Can't deny it, can't pretend_  
_Just thought you were the one. _

"Just thought you were the one." Gale whispers in my ear. I start to cry harder. He knows it because he pulls me even tighter against him than I was before. I want to push him away because he's hurting me, but I can't. I can't form the words against my lips.

_Broken up, deep inside_  
_But you won't get to see the tears I cry_  
_Behind these hazel eyes._

Gale coughs and let's go of me a little bit, but not enough to let me run out of this place.

I'm glad the place is dark because then people can't see I'm crying. But Gale feels it. My tears are soaking his shirt.

_I told you everything_  
_Opened up and let you in_  
_You made me feel alright_  
_For once in my life._

"But I'm not alright anymore." Gale mutters. I finally push away from him and stare at him.

"You left me." I say to him. "I LET YOU IN, AND YOU LEFT ME." I scream. No one turned to stare because the music drowned out my screams.

"I know I did. And I'm sorry." He wiped away a tear that I couldn't see that has fallen.

"Sorry doesn't fix everything." I continued to sob.

"I know it doesn't. But please, forgive me." He started to cry. Any other time I would've pulled him into my arms and forgave him. But everything he's ever done to me, came crashing down around me.

"No." I whisper and turn around and leave. He tries to stop me again but I don't look back at him this time.

"Katniss stay." I could hear it in his voice that he's crying.

"No." I finally turn around and look at him. "Goodbye, Gale." And then I left. When I got outside, it was thankfully dark.

I started to walk in a direction that I was guessing was the way home.

When I stopped at a light, I saw a park across the street. I walked across the street and into the park. The park looked beautiful at night. I sat down on the swing and took off my flip-flops.

I slowly dug my toes into the sand and swung myself back and forth.

"Lonely?" I heard a voice say. It didn't sound familiar, and when I looked up, neither did the face.

I sniff and wipe away my tears. "You could say that." I try to make out a face, but I can't.

"Yeah, one of them nights." Whoever he was, he sat down on the swing next to mine. "I'm Finnick."

"Katniss." Finally I see his face, the moon was shining onto it.

Finnick was, gorgeous for a man. Not compared to Peeta though. No one compared to Peeta. My Peeta.

"Nice to meet you. So, what're you doing out here?" His voice was sweet and caring.

"Same. And complications I guess."

"Oh," He says in understanding.

"Yeah, well. I should get going." I stand up and look around. "I don't even know where I should be headed for home." I mutter and slip my shoes on.

"You lost?" He asks politely.

"Yeah, first time out here." I run my fingers through my hair.

"Let me drive you home." I looked at Finnick curiously. "I'm serious. It's free too. No charge." He smiles at me and leads me to his car. I can't help but smile at Finnick as we walk to his car. He's nice, for a city guy.

When we get to his car and get in, he doesn't turn up his radio all the way, he keeps it low enough so we can make small talk.

And that's exactly what we did. He asked me how I got lost, and I told him. He said Gale was being a greedy asshole and that I should forget about him. So I'll do that. Finnick said he'd love to hang out with me sometimes because he seems like I'd be a great wing girl. I laughed at that.

When he pulled up at my house, I didn't want to get out. He gave me his number and told me to call him anytime. But he also added that I wasn't being pressured. I was thankful for that.

I kissed him on his cheek and got out of his car, he honked and pulled away.

I walked in my house smiling bigger than I have ever. I've made two friends in about two days. I might have lost Gale, but I never had him back in the first place. Because no matter if we were talking, he still left me. He still made me feel horrible for years, and I had to deal with everything without him.

"Have fun tonight?" My mother said not looking up from a medical book.

"You could say that." I smile at her.

"Peeta left you another letter." Prim said bouncing down the stairs. She walked over to the coffee table, and came over with an envelope. My name was printed on the envelope in Peeta's handwriting.

"Thanks." I smile and she hands it to me. I take it and I hope it's a long letter, because the last one he sent was horribly short. I walk up the stairs and something about my room feels.. Off. I look around and notice nothing is out-of-place.

"Strange." I mutter. I sit down on my bed and slowly open the letter. Careful not to rip it.

I look at the letter and put my hand over my mouth.

_Don't be afraid. But, look in your closet._

I did just that. I stood up, and walked slowly towards my closet. I gulp and open my closet.

And there.

In my closet.

Was my heaven in hell.

Peeta Mellark.

* * *

**SO, PEETA'S BACK. **

**I was going to make him come back later in the story, but I felt like this was the perfect time to bring him back. Leave me love for that, ok? c: **

**But Gale. Poor poor Gale. I'm not a big fan of Katniss/Gale action, but there's a lot of problems with the two of them, and now that's Peeta back, what in the world is going to happen? **

**And Finnick. I love him. He makes Catching Fire worth reading. xD And now he will make this story worth reading, lol. He'll be back later in the story, along with Cinna as well. And of course Gale.**

**So. Leave me love because I brung Peeta back early.**

**Review, favorite, follow. Favorite me, favorite the story. Follow me, follow the story. **

**SOMETHING.**

**ANYTHING. **

**PLEASE?**

**Lmao, ok. **

**Bye my loves. xxxoooxxxx**


	9. Chapter 9

**I love you all. Thanks so much for the reviews, the favorites, and even the follows.**

**Not sure what will happen in this chapter, just gonna let my fingers lead the way and see what happens. LOLJK. Katniss and Peeta stuff is what will happen. **

**This chapter will be all about them talking and straightning things about between themselves. And maybe a little, uh. Naughty stuff. ;] I'm soon going to be thinking about changing the rating to M because, this chapter, and later chapters on may be a little kinky.**

**So here's chapter 9. **

**You all are going to love it.**

* * *

"Peeta Mellark.." My jaw drops to the floor.

"Katniss Everdeen." He smiles and walks out of my closet.

I can't stop staring at him. He's here. In my bedroom. In my closet. Peeta Mellark is crazy beyond words, but that's why I love him. And he made me even more happy than I've been in a long time.

"What are you doing here?" I ask. I have a lot more questions than that.

"I couldn't stand not being here. With you I mean. Not in your closet." And that's it. He's made a joke, and I want to attack him with kisses and hugs. But kisses will have to wait.

I run up to him and he catches me. He's spinning me around and holding me. That's what I've wanted all along. I wrap my legs around his waist and he holds me. I don't care if I had walls up in the past, Peeta is the one that can get passed them.

"I've missed you." He whispers in my ear. I pull back and look into his eyes.

His deep blue ocean eyes. The eyes that make my heart turn to mush.

"I missed you. More than you know." I whisper back.

Then, without realizing it, I crash my lips to his. His lips are soft and taste amazing. This kiss feels urgent, like it was needed. Because we both did need it.

We kiss for a couple of minutes, before pulling apart. We're both panting but he doesn't keep his lips off of my skin, he kisses all over my face. And I smile.

"Katniss, I love you." Peeta sits on my bed and I straddle him. Any other time, I would complain about this position, but with him. It feels natural.

"I love you too. Peeta Mellark, I love you." He smiles so big, you would think it hurts his jaw, but he doesn't show if it does hurt.

He kisses me again but it was soft and gentle.

"We do need to talk though." He pulls away and looks at me.

Then I get this feeling in my stomach that makes me want to throw up.

I climb off is lap and he looks at me and pouts.

"Not a bad talk." He adds.

"You should've started with that." I stare at him. I can't take my eyes off of him. He's too.. Perfect.

"Sorry." He kisses my cheek and he lays back.

He looks even more perfect on my bed. Too bad he's dressed. _DID I JUST SAY THAT?_ Oh yes I did.

"It's fine. Now what do we need to talk about?" I cross my legs and continue to stare at him. This is too good to be true.

"Us. Nothing bad though. Promise. But, I don't want to be friends anymore. I can't be friends with you." He doesn't want to be friends? He wants to be.. More? I squeal on the inside but don't change the look on my face on the outside.

"I don't think I can be friends either." I admit. It is the truth, I don't want to be friends anymore. I can't be friends with him. I'm too in love with him to just be friends.

"Oh good." He sighs from relief and I smile at him. "Will you, uh," He scratches the back of his neck nervously. He's too cute when he's nervous. "Be my girlfriend?" Does he even have to ask?

"Peeta," He sits up and stares at me. He has doubt in his eyes. He's afraid I'll say no. How could I say no? He's crazy. "You're the first guy, that has ever made me believe in love. You're the first person I'm in love with. Do you even have to ask? It's a yes. I couldn't say no even if I wanted to." I wipe the hair away from his eyes and stare into his eyes.

Now all I see is love and hope. Love for me, and hope for our future.

"I'll always want to be with you." I whisper and we lean our foreheads against each others.

"Forever." He closes his eyes.

"Always." I close my eyes.

After a few minutes of us just sitting there and breathing. Listening to each others heartbeats. I sneeze. And Peeta finds that very hilarious and we sit there laughing. I'm laughing at him, and he's laughing at my girly sneeze.

"You're so cute when you laugh." He smiles at me. I look down at my lap and blush.

"You're just cute in general." I kiss his cheek and stand up. I stretch and Peeta whistles.

"I remember that dress." He whispers. "We had a moment in that dress. Dancing in the rain, playing in puddles." He smiles at the memory and I smile thinking about it too.

"Yeah. I think of us dancing everytime I wear it." I look down at my feet.

He stands up and pulls me to him. "We can dance then." I can't help but think of Gale when he said that.

I decide not to tell Peeta about what Gale said until after we have our moment and dance.

"I spent forever searching, now I know that it was worth it. With you it feels like I am finally home." I sing quietly. I look up into Peeta's eyes and he's smiling down at me.

"I thought I could resist you. I thought I was strong." He sings back.

"You stole my heart before I could say no." It was true. Peeta had my heart before I even realized it.

"I can't help but surrender, my everything to you." He pulls me closer and I fit perfectly in his arms.

"I'd run a million miles just to hear you say my name." He hums in my ear. "And I did." He adds.

"You leave me breathless, everytime you look at me." He looks at me and I melt. He makes my knees go weak and my heart turn to mush.

"You know, before I left. I cried. I cried writing you that first letter. And when I dropped it off, I started to cry again." He doesn't look away. He's being completely honest.

"Don't cry over me." I touch his cheeks.

"I was trying not to. You took me by surprise. I didn't expect to fall in love when I moved here." He whispers to me. I barely heard it, but I heard it.

"I still don't understand why you came back. You were only gone for two weeks. You should have finished it. You only get a once in a lifetime chance for stuff like that." Peeta got an internship to start his career early, if he liked the courses he was taking at the college he was at. He shouldn't have blown it off for me.

"I don't care. You're more important than any course at a damn college. I had enough time thinking about us. I know you did too. Two weeks are enough for me."

"You had enough time thinking? You shouldn't have left in the first place." I was being selfish, but I didn't care. We would've figured things about us while we were together.

"Don't make me feel bad." We stopped dancing and now we were just staring at each other.

"I'm not trying to. It just makes me mad. You didn't need to leave. I wanted you here." He turns away from me.

"I wasn't trying to make you mad. You needed time to think. And I did too. What don't you understand? If I stayed here, everything would've been guessed and rushed. We both needed time. Don't turn this around and make me feel like the bad guy." His voice sounds hurt. Now I feel bad.

"I'm not.." I whisper. "I just, didn't want you to leave. I was a mess when you left. Now I realize that you helped us be together. I'm sorry." My voice cracks and I try not to cry. I can't take this. So much crying.

Peeta turns around and stares at me. He stares at me for a minute before taking me in his arms and rubbing my back, whispering soothing words into my ear.

"Katniss, don't think about it as me leaving you to fend for yourself. I didn't. I left so we could be together. Just understand that, ok? I would never leave you. You mean too much to me." He pulls back and holds my face.

I nod. I know he didn't want to leave. But it was for the best. Because if he had stayed, we wouldn't be in this spot right now. We would probably be arguing about stupid shit. Knowing me anyways.

"Promise me one thing though?" I whisper. He nods. "Love me. And never stop. No matter how many times I might piss you off, just don't stop loving me." I know he'll say yes, but I just need to hear him say it.

"I promise you, I will always love you, Katniss." He whispers and I kiss him. I will never get sick and tired of his lips against mine. The electricity racing between the two of us is crazy. We probably had sparks shooting off of us.

When we pull away, we get under my covers and lay down. We're just holding each other and whispering 'I love you' back and forth to each other.

Peeta leans forward and kisses me. Then I hear my door being opened and I pull away from Peeta and sit up.

"Am I interupting?" Prim smiles at me and Peeta.

"Cock blocker." Peeta mutters under the covers.

I flick Peeta in the forehead. "No you aren't, Prim. Everything ok?" I smile at her.

"Yeah, you two just got quiet up here. Wanted to make sure you two didn't kill each other." She giggled.

"I would never kill Katniss." Peeta emerges from the covers.

"Yeah ok." I mutter. He gives me a shocked face and puts his hand over my mouth.

"Prim, would you mind leaving your sister and I alone for a couple minutes?" He smiles at her.

"Yeah." She smiles at him and leaves my room.

When she's gone, Peeta pulls me on top of him and I bite my lip.

"You're teasing me, you know that?" He groans and flips us over so he's on top. I stare up at him.

"Hows that?" I smile innocently at him.

"Biting your lip and staring at me with those sexy eyes." He kisses the sides of my mouth. I close my eyes and try not to get turned on. When I open my eyes, he's smirking at me.

"Then close your eyes." I stick my tongue out at him.

"Then I won't be able to see your gorgeous face." He whines.

"Don't complain then." He nods at me.

"Ok, I gotchu." He tries to sound cool.

"You aren't cool. So stop." I laugh and pull my covers up over Peeta and I.

"I'm cool. Don't hate." He shakes his head.

"Hate on what?" I giggle and Peeta kisses me. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back. Somethings different about this kiss, it's somewhere between urgent and relaxing.

Peeta's hand moves up my shirt and I gasp. No one has ever had there hand up there before. He stops and I want him to keep going.

"Don't stop." I close my eyes and whisper. His hand stays right on my stomach and he kisses down my jaw and to my neck.

"I won't." He mumbles against my neck. It feels so good.

His hand starts to move up farther. His hand stops right under my bra and I want to then just take it off so he can keep going. He pulls away and takes his shirt off. I rub my hand over his bare chest. I didn't want to have sex with him now, but I wanted to eventually. But we could go close to doing it right?

I pull my shirt over my head. I toss it behind him and he stares at my almost bare chestt. I'm about to cover up before he starts kissing my neck. His lips are moving down to my chest. When he gets to my chest, I bite my lip. This is the farthest I've ever gone with someone before, and I didn't want him to stop.

When Peeta's lips touched my hard nipple over my bra, I almost lost myself. I was going insane. His other hand went to my other breast and he played with it. I moaned. I was mad I kept my bra on and happy at the same time.

My panties were soaked and if one of us took off our pants, we wouldn't be able to stop.

I was thankful when someone knocked on my door.

Peeta pulled away quickly and I blushed. I pulled the covers up far enough to cover my chest and noticed Peeta was blushing too.

"Yeah?" I call.

"What's going on in there? You two should come down and help me make some cookies." It was my mother. She was cock blocking, because of cookies? I was still a bit thankful.

"Uh, we'll be done in a minute." I heard her footsteps as she walked away. Why didn't I hear them when she came to my door?

"I'm sorry about that. I was getting, carried away." Peeta stands up and tosses me my shirt.

"It's ok." I blush and put it on while still under the covers. I knew he almost saw my boobs, but I was new to this. And nervous.

"I think you should go down there first." Peeta sat down and put his hands over his lap.

"You ok?" I ask him getting out of my bed and staring at him.

"I, uh, have a problem. So no." He coughs awkwardly.

"Whatcha mean?" I look at him curiously.

"I have a hard-on. I'll be down there in a minute." I blush again and nod, leaving the room.

When I get downstairs into the living room, my mother and Prim are smirking at me.

"What?" I look down trying to hide my blush. I hope they didn't know what we were doing up there.

"The walls aren't that thick, Katniss." My mother smirks before drinking her tea. Prim just giggles. My eyes get wide. They knew.

"Oh god. Mom don't say anything. Shh." I sit down and put my head in my hands. This is too embarassing.

"I won't, I won't. Just be careful." She looks at me before standing up and getting the cookie mix out of the pantry.

Peeta comes down there with no hard-on and I smirk at the thought. And get turned on a little bit because of the thought of what we were doing in my bedroom.

"Nice of you to join us." My mother jokes. I slap my hand to my forehead, dumbfounded. My mother just had no idea.

"Uh, yeah." Peeta's faced looks flushed and I walk over and wrap my arms around his waist.

"Help us make cookies?" I look at him pouting.

"Of course." He kisses my forehead and I smile.

Prim and my mother smile at Peeta and I. This is the happiest day of my life. Thanks to Peeta.

Peeta is the expert at baking so we let him deal with the oven we had.

We all sat down in the living room playing Uno and Prim won the two games we played.

When the cookies were done, Peeta and I shoved each others faces and laughed when he almost choked. He said it went down the wrong whole. I rolled my eyes.

Peeta called his house and told them he were staying here tonight, his mother argued but he ignored her.

We walked back up to my room and Peeta fell asleep in my arms. We were all wrapped around each other.

"I love you." I whispered to him before I fell to sleep in my Peeta's arms.

* * *

**Did you like? Of course you did. I loved writing it.**

**Peeta even turned me on at that kinky part. There may be kinky stuff later on, but don't get scared away if you're not into those stories. I still don't know if I want to write them. But for right now, this is it. I will warn you all before hand if there will be a chapter like that.**

**But review please? I'm getting so many reviews, don't stop now. **

**Favorite too, ok? Because that makes me happy too.**

**And follow. I'll be happy with that too.**

**But, do all 3 and you'll make me the happiest PK writer ever. :D**

**5-15 reviews? I'll be ok with 5, happy with 10, and estatic with 15. **

**SO DO IT, MY LOVES. **


	10. Chapter 10

**The reviews, favorites, follows. Ugh. I can't even start to say how happy I am with all of you.**

**Anyways, keep doing what you're doing because that makes me want to write, just remember that. Your reviews, favorites, and follows make me write and update faster. **

**So, here is chapter ten of This Is Not Love. :D **

**Enjoy my loves!**

* * *

It's been an official week of Peeta's and I relationship. And it's been amazing so far. I made Peeta meet Cinna and Finnick. And they all got along great.

Finnick found a girlfriend, and she's great too. Her names Annie. We all go out on a double date. We also all joke around with Cinna telling him he needs to find a women. He ignores us and says Gale is the closet thing he'll ever get to sex again. Or a relationship.

I still haven't found the right moment to tell Peeta about what Gale said to me that night in the club. Gale doesn't come around to hang out with any of us since that night either. And I frankly don't care. I just don't need that drama right now.

Two nights after Peeta came back, my mother asked him if he would like to move in. I wasn't expecting it, but was excited she asked. I didn't want him to leave. He said he'd love to. We've been attached to the hip since.

Right now I'm sitting in class bored. It's my last class of the day and I'm excited for this weekend. This weekend Cinna and Finnick are putting their money together so we can all go to the beach and hang out. Annie and I tried to say we need a girls weekend with just the two of us, but the boys tried to argue with us that they can do that when we get down to the beach. We finally agreed.

When word got around that Peeta and I were official, people stopped bothering me. They stopped looking my way. They even stopped tripping me in the hallway. I was finally happy in school. Not right now though. Right now I want to get out of here and straight into Peeta's arms.

The bell finally rang. I grabbed my bag and ran out of the school. Peeta always waits for me right outside on a bench. And today, he was there. Looking as handsome as ever. I slowed down my walk when he looked at me and stood up. When I got to his side, he wrapped his arms around my waist and planted a kiss on my lips.

I'll never get tired of his lips on mine.

"I missed you today." He whispers against my lips.

"I missed you too." I whisper back.

He kisses me again and I wrap my arms around his neck. We're in this position a lot and I will never get bored with it. As long as Peeta is with me, and I know he's mine, I'm as happy as ever.

"Let's get home. Get our bags. And wait for Cinna to pick us up." Peeta takes my school back from my arm, but at the same time, doesn't let his arm fall from my waist.

We walked home talking about our day. He told me his day at the bakery, yes he still works at the bakery. And I told him about my day at school.

"It would have been better if we were with each other." I say to him.

"I know. But I need money to help pay for needs. Your needs or mine. Or your mom's or Prim's." He responds.

When we pass Gale's house, I don't look over at it. I needed to tell Peeta. It was now or never.

"I need to tell you something." I don't look up at him.

"Sure." His voice was nervous, but he had nothing to be worried about right?

"While you were gone, Gale and I started to talk. It wasn't like we were best friends or anything. And the day you got back, Gale and I were hanging out that day, and he told me something, and I know now what he meant." I did know what he meant. He wished that I didn't fall for Peeta. He wishes I fell for him instead. He wishes he got to me first..

"What did he tell you?" We were at my house now. And I saw Cinna, Finnick, and Annie all waiting outside with Prim. Prim had Peeta's and mine bags.

"He told me, that he wishes he got to me first.." I finally look at Peeta and he stares at the ground.

"Oh. Of course he did." Peeta laughed but it was an angry laugh. I put my hand on his arm, he shook it off. "Where the fuck is he at?" Peeta turned and was about to walk towards Gale's house but I grabbed his arm.

"He isn't worth it, Peeta." I try to calm him down. But it's going to take a lot more than me to calm him.

"Right now he is." I'm surprised Peeta doesn't have steam coming out of his ears.

"Peeta.. Please." I was begging. I didn't want him beating up Gale for something so stupid. Gale wasn't in my life right now. I didn't want him to be. And if Peeta tries and knock Gale out, he could break his knuckle.

Peeta turns his head and looks at me. "Fine." He gives in. I sigh relieved.

I wrap my arms around his waist and look up at him. "I love you."

He leans down and kisses me. When he pulls away I pout. "I love you too." We turn and notice all of our friends have smiles on their faces.

"That was the cutest scene I've ever seen." Annie smiled.

"I didn't think we'd have a audience." Peeta smiles and helps put all of our bags in the trunk of Cinna's truck.

We all got comfortable in Cinna's truck. But when Cinna says a sentence that makes me want to get out of the truck, I'm too late.

"There's Gale." Gale? How did I not know that Gale would be here? I feel Peeta stiffen next to me. I place my hand on Peeta's arm so he knows I'm all his.

Gale gets in the front seat and smiles at all of us. Even me. Does he think that we're ok? Because we aren't.

"Hey. Sorry I took too long." Gale looks perfectly fine. But the last time we saw each other, he was crying his eyes out.

"No problem." Cinna looked back at me through the rear-view mirror and he gave me an apologetic smile.

Let's just say, the car ride to the beach, was awkward. Peeta and I were whispering to each other the whole car ride, and we kissed each other when no one was looking, but Gale was looking at me the whole time. I felt it, and Peeta saw him staring.

Annie and Finnick were playing games the whole ride. They were really cute together.

Cinna and Gale were just sitting up there paying attention to the rode, or paying close attention to me.

"We're here!" Annie squealed, boucning in her seat.

Cinna found a house right on the beach, and it was bigger than our entire town.

When Cinna parked in the long driveway and the car stopped, Annie ran out of the car and towards the beach. Finnick ran after her telling her to calm down. Cinna was getting our bags out of the trunk, and Peeta helped. Gale just kept staring at me, so I started to walk towards the front door of the house.

The house was gorgeous to say the least. It was all one floor, the boarding on the house was the color of the sand, there was a white porch on the front with a couple of chairs on it, and a screen door. The house was surrounded by sand and the ocean was a couple of steps away. I could live here everyday.

"It's gorgeous." I say looking out at the ocean.

"Just like you." Peeta always knows how to make me blush. He comes over and kisses my cheek before telling me to follow him into the house.

When I walked in the house, it was still gorgeous. It looked vintage and at the same time, modern. The living room had two sofas and a huge flat screen. I followed Cinna down a long hallway to the kitchen. The kitchen had granite counters and lights hanging from the ceiling. Right next to the kitchen, was a bedroom with a built in bathroom. That would be Cinna's room.

Cinna walked us down a short hallway, where two more bedrooms were. They would be for Annie and Finnick and Gale. They both had bathrooms in them as well.

"Your bedroom is seperate." Cinna winked at us and I blushed.

Cinna pointed us outside and we saw a little guest house.

Peeta and I walked over there and both of our jaws dropped to the floor. It was a small mansion. There was a seperate kitchen in the far left of the room. There was a bathroom and a closet in a seperate room. There was a bed that had drapes falling over it across from the kitchen, making it look exotic. There wasn't a wall on one side of the guest house, and that lead us right to the ocean. But at night, there's a screen door so you can close it so no one comes in.

It was, like Peeta and I were on our honeymoon.

"I could stay here forever." I whisper. Peeta smiles at me and nods his head.

I look over at the bed and want to just run up and jump on it. And I do just that. I run over to the bed and flop down on it. It was soft as fuck. I don't want to get up.

Peeta runs over too and falls down on the bed next to me. We both laugh and he grabs my hand and kisses each of my fingers.

"Like we're on our honeymoon." I look over at him. He looks back at me. We stare at each other without saying a word. Then before I even have a chance to catch my breath, Peeta crashes his mouth to mine. I close my eyes and kiss him back. I will never get tired of his kisses.

When he pulls away, I miss him lips.

"They're probably wondering where we are." He sits up and pulls me up with him. He's right. We've been over here for about ten minutes, they're probably thinking we're ignoring them to have sex. I blush at the thought.

"What are you blushing at?" He looks at me.

"It's nothing." I'll tell him later.

"Alrighty." He puts his arm around my shoulders and I put my arm around his waist.

We walk over to the main house and they're all sitting down at the kitchen and Cinna is making smoothies.

"'Bout time you two joined us." Finnick winked at us and Annie slapped him upside the head.

"Oh hush." She rolls her eyes and Finnick puts his hands up in defense.

"I was just saying, calm down." He laughs and I smile at them.

Peeta sits down on one of the sofas and I sit on his lap. He pulls me closer to him and kisses my neck. I bite my lip to hide myself from getting turned on. He can do that littiest things and turn me on.

I see Gale out of the corner of my eye talking to Cinna. They were both looking at Peeta and I. Well, Cinna was taking glances and Gale was just staring.

I whisper in Peeta's ear, "They keep staring at us." Peeta nods telling me he knows.

Cinna passed around our smoothies and it was pretty damn good. I've only had a smoothie once before, but this is way better.

"I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend." Peeta whispers in my ear later that night.

The sun has fallen and everyone went to their rooms and Peeta and I stayed on the sofa enjoying the silence.

"Let's take a walk." I say standing up, holding out my hand. Peeta stands up and takes it.

We walk out of the house, and straight to the water. I throw my shoes off and Peeta does the same. We walk on shore line and we swing out intertwined hands back and forth.

"Everything makes sense when I'm with you." Peeta says looking at me. I stop walking and Peeta turns to stare at me. "I wanna wrap you up, I wanna kiss your lips, I wanna make you feel wanted." He says. He was quoting a song and he told me before that it was our song. He was singing our song, to me.

"I wanna call you mine. I wanna hold your hand. Forever, and never let you forget it." I finish for him.

"I am yours." He leans his forehead down on my forehead.

"All mine." I close my eyes and whisper.

Peeta closes the distance between us and kisses me. Every time he kisses me, it feels like the first time all over again. Peeta makes me fall more and more in love with him each and every day we're together.

When he pulls away, I'm sad. Every time we're not touching, I feel weak and something in me is lost. Like my mind is dying without him. I would die without him. I can't imagine my life without him.

He sighs and looks at him, and I get worried. It was a weird sigh, like he was worried or scared about something.

"Everything ok?" I look down at my hands.

"Everythings perfect." He smiles at me. He has no doubt in his eyes and I'm relieved.

"I miss you.." I don't know why I said that out loud. But I did miss him. I miss our skin touching, I miss him. Even when he's right here.

"I'm standing right in front of you. How can you possibly miss me?" He had no idea..

"I missed the sound of your voice. I missed our stupid arguments. I missed dancing in the rain, and pretending that nothing else mattered. I don't know what I'd do if you were to ever leave again.." I turn away from him and out at the ocean.

"Katniss," He puts his hand on my shoulder and spins me back around so I'm looking at him. "What will make you believe me? I'm not going anywhere."

"I don't know.." I can't look at him. He's sad because I don't believe him. Everyone eventually leaves.

I heard him say something, but I couldn't quite catch it.

"What was that?" I ask him. He shakes his head.

"It was nothing. Forget it." I don't want to forget it.

"Say it, Peeta." I bite my lip and grab his hand and kiss it. He looks at me and closes his eyes.

"Marry me." My heart stops.

Did he just ask me to marry him? Marry him? MARRY HIM? Marry Peeta Mellark. I never thought about marrying anyone before. But, Peeta and I are real. We have something I've never seen anyone else have. Ok, so Finnick and Annie have it. And my mom and dad had it.

"Seriously?" I can't believe him though. This past week has been too good to be true.

Peeta being back, this vacation, making new friends, being on a beach and him asking me to marry him.

"I'm being dead serious. I want you to marry me. I want you to be mine, officially. And I want to be yours, officially." He was being serious. I actually believed him. He wasn't going anywhere. Peeta wouldn't just randomly ask me to marry him just to make me happy. He would do it because he knows I secretly want it, and that he wants it.

"Yes." I whisper looking down and then looking up at him.

Peeta has the biggest smile on his face. This is too good to be true. I'm engaged to Peeta Mellark.

Peeta reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box, and opens it. Inside the box, was the prettiest ring inside. It wasn't too big, and it wasn't too small. It was vintage, which I love.

He slips the ring on my ring finger and it fits perfectly.

"We have to tell my mother." I look up at him.

"I already asked her for her permission." He smiles at me.

He was crazy. I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck.

"Peeta Mellark, I love you." And I kiss his cheeks.

"Katniss Everdeen Mellark, I love you." Katniss Mellark. It sounds, perfect.

Just like our relationship.

Nothing is going to come between Peeta and I.

And that night, Peeta and I slept together. And I mean, sleep together. Wink wink. WE DID IT.

It was amazing. This weekend was already perfect and it was just the beginning.

Could it get anymore perfect?

* * *

**Marriage? Omg. Katniss is one lucky girl. **

**Review for more fluff between the two of them. x3 It is too perfect. I wish I was in her spot. And I saw them walking on the beach in my head, and I saw him getting down on one knee, but I didn't want to add that. It would be to cliche. **

**So, you readers know what to do. Keep reviewing, keep adding me and this story to your favorites, and keep following.**

**More drama, more Gale, more Annie and Finnick, and more PK stuff will be up. (: **

**REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11

**You all are perfect. Ugh. I wish I could just squeeze you all so tight and thank you in person. This means a lot. **

**But there's a writing competition at my school, and I'm thinking about putting this story into the competition and see if it wins? And to make it an even more chance of it winning, would be more reviews than ever. So, I'm going to be greedy the next couple of chapters. AND, if you haven't reviewed an earlier chapter, please do that. I would love to win! **

**Anyways, here is Chapter 11. **

**Enjoy my loves.**

* * *

I woke up with a huge smile on my face. This is just too amazing.

"GO AWAY FINN." I heard Annie screaming.

I roll over and notice I'm laying down alone. I sit up and look around. Peeta is nowhere to be seen.

I did see Annie and Finnick in the room with me and I was glad I was dressed. They were arguing, looking around and over at me.

"What are you two doing in here?" I finally say.

"Nothing. Go back to bed, Katniss." Finnick says in a polite voice.

"She needs to wake up anyways." Peeta glares at them two and walks in the room. Where the hell was he? His voice didn't even sound like he was my Peeta. I ignored it and got out of bed and hurried and slipped some shorts on.

Peeta passes me and heads out the front door. I frown and look over at Annie and Finnick.

Annie walks over to me and Finnick leaves the room shaking his head.

"What's going on?" I say stretching. Annie looks down and she plays with her fingers.

"Well, Peeta told Finnick and I that you and him were engaged.. And uh," I don't get what's the matter here.

"And what?" I want her to finish her sentence.

"Gale overheard, and he started yelling and saying that Peeta's just a stage in your life and you'll get over him. And Peeta got mad, and he punched Gale and broke Gale's nose. And Finnick and I were arguing about telling you or not. I wanted to tell you and get it over with, Finnick thought Peeta should have told you. Now Peeta's not in the mood to talk to anyone right now." She took a deep breath. She said that all in one breath. Damn.

But Peeta punched Gale? I wish I saw it. Gale deserved it. Peeta wasn't a stage in my life. Peeta and I were in this together. Whatever I did, Peeta did too. Gale needed to understand that I'm not his and never will be. Things just don't work out like that anymore. Hell, they never did in my life anyways. Gale needed to move on from this crush he has on me.

"Oh. Do you think, he'll uh, want to talk to me?" I look at the door Peeta disappeared in.

"I don't know. We all tried to calm him down, he stormed off. This is the first time I've seen him since he punched Gale." Gale really needed to understand. I don't need Peeta being mad at anyone because of Gale being a dumbass.

"Where's Gale at?" Hopefully far away. I don't want him on this vacation. He'll ruin it for Peeta and I. Where was Cinna when all this was going down?

"Cinna took him to the hospital. They've been gone for about 20 minutes." That answers the Cinna question.

"I need to find Peeta." I give Annie a side hug with one arm and opened the screen doors and look and see if he's walking on the shore line.

And I saw him. He was sitting in the sand and I started to walk towards him. His blonde hair was blowing in the wind and it was like a movie. He is too perfect to be real. This is like a movie.

I finally reach him and sit down next to him, not saying a word. I feel his eyes on me and I get nervous. He might tell me he doesn't want to talk, or worse, he doesn't want to be with me anymore because he doesn't want the drama.

"Hi." He finally says. Hi? That's it? This is going to be a long day.

"Hey." I bite my nails and Peeta grabs my hand to keep me from biting. He hates when I bite my nails.

"Annie tell you?" I nod. "Oh." I nod again. What does he want me to say? My mind is blank right now.

"You know what he said wasn't true, right?" I look over at him. He was staring right back at me. His gorgeous blue eyes looked angry. Or hurt. Maybe both.

"I know. But he made it seem so believable." He look away from me. And in that moment, I realized that Gale is an asshole. And he needs to be gone. Not like, dead gone. But gone from my life. From Peeta's life. Peeta didn't need this, and neither did I.

"Gale does that." I look at Peeta and out of the corner, I saw his knuckle wrapped up. I gently grabbed it and he winced. "You didn't have to punch him, Peeta." I kissed his knuckle and he smiled a little.

"Yeah I did. What he said to you in the club, and today? He deserved to get punched." Jealous Peeta and angry Peeta, was really sexy. But he doesn't need to be jealous or mad at Gale. Gale is immature.

"He isn't worth it though." I whisper. I don't want Peeta getting hurt because of Gale. Gale is huge compared to Peeta. Peeta might have muscles, but they don't show much. Gale is tall and broader than Peeta.

"You're worth fighting for." Peeta leans over and kisses me. I missed his lips. The memories of last night flood my brain and I blush. Peeta pulls away and winks at me. He knows.

"We should get back inside. I'm starving." I stand up and rub my tummy. Peeta stands up and takes my hand.

"To the house." We swing our hands back and forth singing random songs. This is how I liked it. Peeta and I talking like nothing else matters in the world but him and I.

When we walk in the house, Annie and Finnick are making eggs. More like burning eggs. It smells horrible.

"What in the world are you making in here?" Peeta makes a disgusted face.

"Eggs, want some?" Annie smiles at us sweetly.

"No thanks." I gag and Peeta chuckles.

"Fine then. More for us." Annie smiles at Finnick and he smiles back at her.

"You two have fun eating burnt eggs." Peeta got the muffin mix out and I sat there on a stool watching him.

Peeta was handy in the kitchen. I guess he would have to be since he works at the bakery.

When Peeta put the muffins in the oven, he leaned over the counter and planted a kiss on my nose. I giggled. Peeta really does make me feel like I'm 17. My hormones always raging.

"You two make me want to just throw up." Finnick joked. Annie rolled her eyes and whispered something in his ear. Finnick's eyes got wide and he picked her up and carried off.

"Like we don't know what they're going to do." Peeta shook his head and I smile at him. He looks over at me and we just stare at each other. His blue eyes are bright with happiness. I like them better this way.

Peeta picked me up bridal style and carried me to one of the sofas. He dropped me on the sofa and he crawled on top of me. I move the hair away from his eyes and I can't help but smile so big.

Peeta is perfect. How many times am I saying that? A lot.

When the muffins were done, Peeta and I stuff each other's faces, and then we save about 8 for the rest of them. Peeta and I had two each.

Peeta and I were laying down on the couch when we heard a car pull up. I was about to sit up, but Peeta pulled me closer. He wants to make Gale mad. I didn't want another fight to break out.

Cinna and Gale walk in the door. Cinna smiles at Peeta and I, and Gale doesn't even look over here. He has his nose taped up and I know it's broken. I feel kinda proud that someone finally hit Gale. But I still can't help but feel a little sorry for him. He isn't worth it.

"Who made muffins?" Cinna asks shoving one in his mouth.

"We did." Peeta replies.

"They're good." Cinna nods in approval.

"He is the bakers son." I laugh.

"True true." Cinna laughs too and shoves another one in his mouth. Someone's hungry.

I look over at Gale and notice he's looking not at me, but at Peeta. He wants revenge. And he's not gonna stop until he gets it. The suspense was killing me. I stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Gale stood up and walked towards Peeta. They said something to each other before walking outside. Neither one of them looked my way when they walked outside. I look over at Cinna and he shrugs.

I know Finnick and Annie are going to be having sex, but they need to be out here. I run back to their room and bang on there.

"Finn, Annie, get out here. Gale and Peeta are wanting to talk alone. HURRY." Then I run back to living room and see that Cinna is looking out the window. I peek also and see that Gale and Peeta are arguing.

"Someone needs to stop them." Finnick says running out in the living room in his boxers. I would've cared any other time, but not right now. Annie came rushing out behind him in Finnick's shirt. She looks worried too.

Something was going to happen. I knew it. Gale and Peeta can't just have a normal argument.

"And say what? They're not gonna stop arguing either way." Cinna says still looking out the window.

"I swear. If Peeta gets hurt." I pace back and forth behind Cinna. Annie tries to get me to stop and calm me down, but I can't. Someones going to get hurt. And we're just standing in here like it's a reality tv show.

"Oh shit." Cinna mutters.

I push him away from the window and the image I see is sickening.

Peeta is on the ground and Gale is towering over him.

I push away from the window and run out to Peeta. When I get there, I see Peeta's knocked out cold. I turn to Gale and shove him.

"WHAT THE FUCK!? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!?" I screamed and kept pushing him. Tears were coming out of my eyes andI couldn't stop them.

"He fucking deserved him. He's a piece of shit, Katniss. Get over him." How dare he fucking say that?

"DON'T BE SO FUCKING JEALOUS, BECAUSE I'M IN LOVE WITH HIM! AND NOT YOU!" I scream at him and I punch him in his nose. I keep punching him in the face and he's not stopping me.

Finnick rushes out and grabs me and tries pulling me away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I scream and cry at the same time.

Cinna runs out with Annie following behind holding the first-aid kit.

"Katniss calm down." Finnick whispers in my ear.

"NO! LET ME GO!" I keep screaming. I want to rip Gale apart. He knocked Peeta out. And he's going to just get away with it? I don't think so.

Finnick lets me go, and I go knee Gale in the nuts. He falls to the ground and he wimpers in pain.

"Don't you ever come near me, or Peeta again." I walk away and over to Peeta. He's still out cold and I wipe the hair away from his eyes. Like I always do. Peeta didn't look hurt on the face, so Gale didn't touch him there. Gale hit him somewhere else.

Gale hit Peeta in the chest. Hard if he's knocked out.

I put my hand over my mouth and rock back and forth, crying next to Peeta.

Annie walked over to Gale and kicked him in the stomach and yelled at him saying that she hopes he's happy now. Cinna and Finnick were talking and whispering to each other and I could make out hospital, ambulance, and Gale. Fuck Gale.

"Stop worrying about Gale." I look at Peeta. He's the subject now. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM?" I scream at them both.

Finnick walks over to me and pulls me up and hugs me. He whispers in my ear, "He's not breathing." That's it. I push Finnick away and put my head to Peeta's chest.

He isn't breathing. Cinna is on his phone and off in less than a minute.

"They're on their way." Cinna pulls Gale into the house so he's not to be bothered with. Good. He deserves to suffer in pain.

It takes about fifteen minutes til the ambulance pulls up on the beach. Finnick has to pull me away from Peeta and I'm screaming at him to let me go. People in houses next to us come out and they keep staring at me, and some even cry.

They paramedics give Finnick a sad smile and they drive away. With Peeta in the back.

Finnick carries me all the way to Cinna's truck. Finnick's in the back trying to calm me down with the help of Annie. I'm not yelling anymore, I'm just staring straight ahead. I don't even know what to think anymore.

Without Peeta, my life is worthless.

When we arrive at the hospital, Finnick carries me in. I don't think I would be able to walk anyways. They say Peeta's getting test down and he'll be done soon.

We find a sitting area, and Finnick sits me down and sits next to me. Annie's on the other side of me, holding my hand.

A nurse comes over to us and tells us Peeta is allowed visitors. But he isn't awake. She also said he could be out for days because of the impact someone did to his chest.

I knew what that meant. Peeta was in a coma. But he'd wake up soon. This is killing me. My heart drops to my stomach and I can't move. All I can do is blink. I don't even want to be alive right now. Gale shouldn't even be alive right now.

And that's all I could think about. Was hurting Gale so much, that he'd be put into a coma. Peeta shouldn't be in there. Gale should.

"Katniss, do you want to see Peeta?" Annie asks me rubbing my hand with her thumb. I can't say anything. I can't find the words to say something. I can't even nod.

Finnick helps me stand up, but I fall to my knees. I can't stand up. My knees are weak. I feel like crying. Finnick picks me up, and carries me into Peeta's room. I hate hospitals.

When I can see Peeta's bed, I start to cry. Peeta has wires sticking in his throat, in his arms. I see a machine right next to his bed and I notice it looks familiar.

It's a life support machine. Peeta's on life support. He's that bad?

Finnick sits back in a chair beside Peeta's bed, and then they all leave the room. Leaving Peeta and I alone.

I grab Peeta's hand and kiss it.

Since Peeta's been with me, he's been put through so much. I didn't want anyone to get hurt when I admitted being in love with Peeta. But I'm hurting more than just Peeta.

Now he's in a coma. On life support.

"Please don't die on me." I whisper and kiss his hand again. I look over at him and he looks like he's sleeping in a regular bed. But he's not. He's in the hospital. "Don't leave me, Peeta." I stand up and look at him.

I walk away from his bed and pace back and forth in his room.

After a few minutes of pacing, I walk back over and sit next to him again. But this time, I lean over and place my lips gently against his.

"You promised." And I simply left his room.

I found Finnick, Annie, and Cinna all sitting down with worried expressions.

All I do is sit down on the other side of them three and become blank again.

My life.

My world.

Might die.

Could die.

Where's a magic lamp when you need one?

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**:( Sad right? I know! I teared up while writing that. Now as I said earlier, I'm going to be greedy with getting reviews.**

**So I'm begging you. If you haven't reviewed, review. Review for chapters you never reviewed. Please! I want to win that competition. **

**If I get 8-15 reviews, I'll make Peeta live. If I don't, he could die. :( **

**IT'S ALL UP TO YOU GUYS. **

**Review review REVIEW. (:**


	12. Chapter 12

**I knew you would all want Peeta to live. (: So, I was completely blind when I forgot to add in his parents to this whole ordeal. Anyways, here is chapter 12. :D There's going to be a lot of arguing, and that means drama. :D Oh! And by the way, I was kinda scared to sleep, afraid some of you readers were going to come to my house and give me 'The Gale Treatment' :D But I wouldn't let Peeta die. I also love him just as much as you people do! So, here's chapter 12. (:  
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**I hope you all love it. (:  
**

**Keep reviewing by the way. :D It makes me update faster. (:  
**

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"I called Peeta's parents. They should be here soon." Finnick said coming back into the waiting room. Oh great. Peeta's parents. This day, is fantastic. I don't need to hear how it's my fault that Peeta is on life support. I glare at Finnick.

"Thanks for calling them. I would be fine with just his dad. But no, HIS MOTHER?" He holds up his hands in defense.

"They need to know Katniss, it is their son." I guess he did have a point. But anyone but his mother if anything. His mother hates me. His father doesn't hate anyone.

"Has anyone checked up on Gale?" Annie frowns a little. How could she be thinking about Gale in a time like this? He was the least of our worries. Least of my worries.

"I guess that would be a good idea." Cinna pulls his phone out of his pocket and walks outside. I cross my arms over my chest annoyed.

I saw a couple of doctors and nurses go in and come out of Peeta's room for about an hour. They could come out whispering to each other, and giving us small smiles.

"WHERE'S MY SON?!" Ugh, the wicked witch of the west is here. Finnick, Annie, and I stand up and look over at them.

Peeta's mother needs a make-over. She looks horrible. I bet I look even more worse.

"He's in there, Mrs. Mellark." Finnick nodded towards Peeta's room.

Mrs. Mellark looked over at me and walked towards me pointing her finger.

"This is your fault isn't it?" I just look down. What else was I suppose to say right now? I was at lost for words. I was hurting just as much as they were. They need to understand that I love Peeta, and I didn't plan for Gale to knock him out and put him in a damn coma. "I knew Peeta was going to get hurt falling in love with a poor girl. When he wakes up, you stay awake from him. You hear?" What am I suppose to say now? She doesn't want me speaking to him ever again. Mr. Mellark grabs his wives arm and pulls her into Peeta's room.

Was he thinking the same thing as her? Did he think it would be best if Peeta and I didn't talk at all? I know I hurt him, I don't plan to though. I warned Peeta a billion times not to fall for me or talk to me, he didn't listen, it wasn't my fault. Hell, yeah it was. Gale was in love with me, and I was in love with someone else. Someone total opposite of me.

Cinna comes back in and tells us Gale is back at his own house. Good. That's where he should have been the whole weekend.

"Are you going to tell his parents about you and Peeta's engagement?" Annie asks me when we both sit back down. The boys went out to buy us some breakfast.

"I don't know. I mean, she hates me. She even said she doesn't want him and I speaking again when he wakes up." I shrug my shoulders and look at her.

"I think right now, is the perfect time to tell them." She squeezes my shoulders and nods her head towards his door. I take a deep breath and stand up.

"You sure?" I ask her still looking at his door. What would I even say? 'Oh hey by the way, I'm marrying your son.' That would be another life support machine trying to save a life. My life for being knocked out by her. Or his mother because she had a heart attack from what I'm about to tell her.

"Positive." I nod and start walking towards his door. This is it. This is a once in a lifetime chance. Peeta's mother needs to know that Peeta and I are in this together. She needs to know that I'm in love with her son and not just for his money, hell, I don't care about the money. And Peeta always told me he isn't either. She needs to realize that love wins over money any day.

I crack the door open and try and tell if their talking. They aren't. I walk in with my head held high. When Mrs. Mellark sees me, she scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" She asks me. She needs to take some happy pills. This bitch is getting on my nerves. She needs to brighten up. How can someone be so bitchy all the time?

"Um, I figured that I would tell you some news since Peeta can't." Mr. Mellark eyes me up and Mrs. Mellark rolls her eyes.

"Go ahead then. It won't be important I bet." Oh, it'll be important as important ever gets.

"Peeta and I are engaged." I blurt out. She stops moving and I swear I even see her chest stop moving.

"ENGAGED!?" She stands up and I can tell she's about to hurt me, but thankfully her husband grabs her and sits her back down.

"Yeah, he proposed, last night, and uh, I said yeah." I sit down on the chair next to Peeta's bed. He looks like he's in a deep sleep.

"He's only 17 for gods sake." His mother put her head in her hands and I hear her sob. "He's not going to make it anyways. So don't get your hopes up." Is she serious? I wasn't worried about getting my hopes up.

"He's going to make it. Why do you have to be so negative?" I stand up and I stand directly in front of her. I wasn't having this today. I wasn't having this ever. I may love Peeta, but I'm not putting up with his bitch of a mother anymore.

"I'm not being negative." She glares at me. She can't be serious.

"You know he hates you? HE HATES YOU. He didn't care about what you, OR ANYONE ELSE, has to say about him and I. SO FUCK OFF!" I scream at her. She looks startled at the tone of my voice, but I ignore it.

I stomp out of his hospital room and outside.

She is being ridiculous. She doesn't care her own sons in a coma, she still cares about the money. I would love to shove some damn money down her throat so she can choke on it.

I needed to get out of here. Out of this town. Away from everyone. But I know I can't just get up and leave Peeta. He's all I have. Okay, so, not ALL I have, but besides Prim, he's the most important thing in my life. Well, ever since Peeta has came in my life, Prim and I aren't as close anymore.

I sit down on the bench outside the hospital. I see someone sit down next to me and I turn my head, it's Finnick.

"You should come back in." He finally says.

"For what? I don't want to be in there anymore. I need air." I cross my hands on my lap.

"Peeta might be waking up soon. So the doctors say. And you can get some air inside." I could tell he was looking at me. Doesn't he understand? Doesn't anyone understand?

"It's like I'm suffocating where ever I am. No matter if I'm inside or outside. I'm trapped here in the god awful town." I put my elbows on my knees, and my put head in my hands. I feel like I'm going to be sick.

"You should talk to someone about this.." He thinks I need someone to talk to? I have a million people to talk to. No one understands. Only Peeta would actually understand. Because he feels the same.

"I have someone. I have Peeta. I have you, Annie, even Cinna. Honestly Finn, the only one who understands is Peeta." It's true though. I love them all, but sometimes it's like Peeta is the only one who ever knows what I think about, or what I'm going through, or anything along those lines.

"Why wouldn't any the rest of us understand?" I can tell by the tone of his voice that he's hurt.

"Because you all have money, you can leave whenever it pleases you. You can do stuff. I can't do anything. I would kill to just leave here. I use to think it was so pretty and everything was perfect.. Not anymore." Finnick wrapped his arm around my shoulders and hugged me. I know he cares, everyone cares about my well being. I'm not sure why, but they do. I just wish it was that easy.

"I don't have all the money you would think I have. My parents died when I was 16. I'm living off their will they left for me. It isn't like it just comes to me naturally. When all that money is gone, I'll be broke." So, Finnick had a sad story to tell too. Everyone has a sad story to tell. I wonder what Cinna's is. Or even what Annie's is.

"I'm sorry to hear about that." I kiss his cheek and he gives me a sad smile.

"Everyone is broke at least once in their lives, Katniss. Just because you've been poor longer, doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. It just makes you stronger." Finnick really knew how to make me listen. He had a million points. He was right. Just because I'm poorer than the next person, just makes me stronger. Doesn't make me that much different.

"You're right." I nod and look down at my hands that are still clasped together.

"Of course I am. You need to listen to someone for the first time in your life." I did listen to people, it just takes me awhile til it gets kicked into my system. "Now, how 'bout you turn that frown upside down, Miss." He stands up and offers me his hand. I smile, grab it, and he pulls me up. "That's much better." He kisses my cheek and we walk back inside.

Annie claps her hand when she sees the smile on my face. Cinna even smiles as well.

I don't go back in Peeta's room that night. He didn't even wake up that night. The suspense is killing me. I need him to wake up. We have tons to talk about.

I play with the ring on my finger til about 1 in the morning. Maybe Peeta and I were rushing into things. I saw Annie and Finnick look over at me a couple of times during the night. I don't want them to think I'm having doubts about this relationship, because I'm not. I'm having doubts about this marriage. I want to get married to Peeta. But maybe it's too early. As much as I hate his mother, I think they should get along. I want his parents to like me for me. Not forced to like me because Peeta is making them.

At around 1:23, the doctor comes out and tells us Peeta's healing and should be up tomorrow or sometime soon. I look over at Annie and Finnick and tell them I need a midnight snack and I'll be down in the cafeteria. Annie wants to come with me, but I tell her I need to be alone, she nods.

When I get to the cafeteria, no one is down there eating. I walk over to a vending machine and I pull out about two dollars in my pocket. I decide to get some Doritos. I sit down at an empty table and eat the Doritos. Every time I put a chip in my mouth, I can't help but stare at the ring.

Did Peeta even want this? Or was he just doing this to make me believe him. He could have done something else. Why did I even say yes? _Because you wanted to. _Was it the right response? Or should I have said no? If I said no, would Peeta even be in a coma? Would he be alive and well? Would Gale be alive and well? Ugh, I should hit myself. I always find myself thinking back to Gale. _Because you love him._ I don't love Gale. Maybe I did once, as a friend, but it doesn't matter now.

_Gale does matter. If he didn't, you wouldn't be thinking about him. _

I guess I was sorta right. I do care about Gale, after everything he's done. To me, to Peeta. But what he did to Peeta, was because of me. I've lead Gale on. I shouldn't have became friends with him again.

"Ugh. Stupid, stupid, stupid." I run my fingers through my hair and put my hair up in a messy bun. This hospital needs to turn on the AC.

I walk back to the waiting room where all my friends are. They're all there talking to one another. They all look up and point to the chair in front of the three of them. I sit down and stare at them all curiously.

"Peeta's awake." I stand back up and look at his door. He's awake? He's alive.. My heart does jumping jacks.

"Why aren't you guys in there?" I look over at his door and see that his parents are even waiting outside his door.

"Because he asked for you, Katniss. No one else." Cinna says. I start walking to his door, not waiting for any other response from anyone. I walk right past his parents and open the door to an alive Peeta. I take a deep breath and turn my head.

There he is. He is alive. No life support machine wrapped around his head or nose, or anything. He may have IV's sticking out of his arms, but he's alive. And he asked for me.

When he sees me, he smiles brightly. I rush over to the side of his bed and kiss his forehead.

"Hello to you too." He chuckles. Same old Peeta.

"I'm so sorry for what Gale did." Gale, ugh. I'm having mixed emotions on Gale right now. He should be here instead of Peeta. No, I should be in this hospital bed, just recovering from a coma, not Peeta. Not even Gale. It should be me.

"It's fine." He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear and smiles at me.

"I should be in here. Not you." I wipe away a tear that has fallen from my eye. Peeta looks at me pissed.

"Why the hell would you even say that? No one should be in this damn hospital." He was mad. I sit down on the chair next to him and held his hand.

"'Cause it's true, Peeta." I look at our intertwined hands. And I know what I have to do. "I can't marry you." He pulls his hand out of my hand and I miss the contact.

"What's that suppose to mean?" He was even more mad than he was before.

"I'm not breaking up with you, I think, we should just slow down on this relationship. We rushed into things." I take the ring off my finger and put it in his hand.

"You have got to be kidding me." He mutters and stares at the ring in his hand.

"Like I said, we're not over with. I just.. We're rushing into things too fast Peeta. I need time to breathe." I run my fingers through my hair frustrated.

"You need time to breathe? Fine, I'll give you all the time to breathe. Leave." My heart stopped.

"I didn't mean it like that." I try not to cry, I need to be strong. I'm sick of being vulnerable.

"Well, sure as hell sounded like it. So leave. And don't bother me again. We're over. I'm sick of you leading me on, Katniss. Go and be with Gale. I mean, be with someone that's willing to put up with your shit, because I'm done. You can have all the time you need now. Don't let me stop you from breathing." I put my hand over my mouth, and then the other one over my heart. I didn't know if I was going to scream, or witness my heart being torn out of my own chest.

But I did what he wanted me to do. I walked and when I was as his door, I whisper, "I love you", and then I walk out the door and look at my friends. I don't cry or anything. They all stand up and look at me. Then when I see his mother, I break down and cry. It's not a sob, but I'm crying. I turn and face his mother.

"I hope you're happy. I won't be bothering your family, or your son. Ever again." I walk past her and ignore all the stares and whispers of my friends.

I didn't know where I was going, I just needed to be free.

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**Could you say drama? So. There won't be a lot more chapters after this one, but I'm trying to finish up the story exactly how I wanted it. (: **

**So, I'm not sure if Peeta and Katniss will get back together or if she'll do what he told her to do and go and be with Gale.  
**

**I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out, my loves.  
**

**Anyways, review, favorite, and follow. My story is going to be entered in the competition and I'm going to win if I have a whole lot of people reviewing my story.  
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**:D SO REVIEW.  
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	13. Chapter 13

**The reviews I've been getting for this story, is crazy. And I'm loving every one I'm getting, seriously. But, :( sad moment, I took my laptop back, and now I'm back on my home computer, and it's super old, and super slow. So that means, I'm not sure how fast I'll be updating. :( This computer is still spelling out the words even when I'm done the sentence, it could break any minute now too. So, I'll be trying to get this story over with and still get my school work and shit done. (:  
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**Anyways, back to this story. I've been entered in the writing competition, and they're going to be picking the top ten, then top five, then the top two, and then the winner. I'M HOPING I WIN! But again, keep reviewing! Don't stop. And comment on earlier chapters you haven't yet commented on. I'll love you all so much!  
**

**But, here is the not so drama free chapter 13. (:**

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I throw the rock into the lake. I don't know where I went exactly, I just went in the woods behind the hospital and took off. And I ended up finding a lake.

Peeta said I shouldn't worry about being with him. Because I didn't want to marry him? I didn't want to rush into things that I thought we weren't ready for me. I didn't know if I was ready or not. Peeta's only been the first guy I've ever been in love with. So how do I even know if he's the one or not? Hell, I knew he was the one, but was I even ready to admit that?

I mean, I know it's out in the open, but was I ready to move forward when I didn't know for sure if this was the best thing to do? No, I didn't. I always thought getting married was stupid, just a stupid piece of paper. And then my mind changes when I meet Peeta. Does that even mean I still think of it as a piece of paper? Or do I really want to marry him.

I fall to my knees on the shore line of the lake and put my head in my hands. I was so done with all this shit. I didn't plan on any of this. Peeta is an ass. He stole the life I was happy on having. So, it did have ups and downs, but it was easy to deal with them. I'm so use to not having a normal like, that I don't know what to do for the simplest things to other people.

But I knew deep down what I had to do. I had to leave Peeta. For good and pretend like it doesn't hurt. Because I'm hurting him more and more with just staying with him. And I don't know if Gale's going to go in a jealous rampage again and beat him to death.

I started to make my ways back to the hospital. I didn't really know where the road to the hospital was, but I was going to find my way even if it took me all night. I keep my running my fingers through my hair, remembering Peeta doing that two nights before when nothing was bothering us in the world. I didn't want to leave Peeta, at all. I didn't want to hurt him, and I didn't even want to be with Gale. Why did he think Gale and I would be better together?

Peeta's the only one I want. But he's pushing me towards someone else.

I end up finding the road that led me to the hospital and the woods. I walk across the street and back into the hospital and I see my friends still sitting in the same spots as they were before I left. I didn't see Peeta's parents anywhere and I was glad. The less the crowd, the faster I could get this over with.

Finnick stands up, holding Annie's hand, and they both walk over to me with a sad expression on their faces. "You okay?" Annie puts her hand on my shoulder and I look at Finnick, not knowing how to answer his question. So, I lied.

"Perfect. Can I talk to Peeta?" I try and stay calm. I feel my hands shaking and I bite my lip, trying to calm my nerves. Finnick nods and him and Annie step out of my way and I'm facing Peeta's door. I didn't know word for word what I was going to say to him. So, as I walked toward his door, I tried coming up with ways to tell him.

My hand touches the door knob, and I take a deep breath before turning it, and pushing it open. "Yeah?" Peeta's raspy voice calls. He must have gotten out of an argument, at least that's what it sounds like.

"It's Katniss." I breath out, walking around the corner, showing him my voice. When I see his face, I almost forget what I came here for. Almost.

"Look, we need to talk." Yeah, we did. But I was going to be first. Because I had to do this. I had to get this over with.

"Yeah, we do. But me first." I don't dare look at him right now. I know if I even took a peek at his face, I would change my mind. "What you said to me earlier, I thought about it, and I'm taking your advice. I'll go and be with Gale. We don't belong together. You were right." All the while as I was saying this, I kept back a bucket full of tears.

"Katniss, I was mad. I didn't mean it." Peeta choked out. I had to get out of here. He was going to start screaming and crying, and I can't do it. I would take him back the minute he told me he loves me.

"Goodbye, Peeta." I whisper to him, before turning away and leaving his room once again. This time I knew it was the best option. For him and for I. He didn't need me holding him back. He should have stayed away longer. We would have more time to settle things out. I should have settled that Gale situation. I mean, I planned on, sorta. But Peeta came back and distracted me. There was so much drama that came from me. I needed to stop it before I could even have a relationship.

I didn't look at my friends as I walked out the hospital this time. I was sick of disappointing people. Like myself. I walked towards my house and it wasn't that far like I thought it was.

When I got on my road, I stopped in front of Gale's. His door was open and I knew he was there. I opened his gate and walked up to his door, not caring about knocking, I walked right in and saw him leaning over the sink with an ice pack over his head. Good, we hurt him.

"Hey." He jumped up, surprised by the sound of my voice. He turned around, and glared at him.

"If you're here to hurt him, leave." He said grumpily.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I wanted to talk to you." Talk to him about him and I. I was going to make Peeta's dream come true. Just like he wanted it to. He better be happy.

"Talk then?" He hopped up and sat on his counter and I stare at him, with confidence.

"I want us to be together." His eyes got wide when I said this.

"You want me to be with you?" His mouth wide open like his eyes.

"Very much so." I smile but inside I'm ready to shoot myself. I didn't want to do this, but I'm making Peeta happy.

"What about Mellark?" He glares at me, he probably thinks this is a joke. It is to me, but not to anyone else.

"I never loved him. I'm always thinking about you while I'm with him." I lie right through my teeth.

"Perfect." He winks at me and I gulp. I DON'T WANT YOU! I scream in my head. Why doesn't Peeta understand that I want him?

So for the next hour, Gale's touching me and kissing me, and the whole time, I'm wishing it's Peeta hands touching me and his lips kissing me. I try not to throw up at the thought of it being Gale and not Peeta.

"I think I should head home." I whisper to Gale, standing up from his couch and walk to the door, to my freedom.

"Come over tomorrow, babe?" He gives me a smile, that sends a shiver up my spine, and not in a good way. In a creeper way.

"Of course." I give him a sickly sweet smile. But he doesn't see it as I know it. He thinks it's a cute flirty smile. And I know it's an 'I hate you' way. He gives me a kiss on the cheek, and when I'm safe outside, an I know he's not staring, I wipe off my whole face, and I shiver from the feeling I was getting from just being with him for an hour.

When I walk in my house, I sigh a sigh of relief. There was no way I could be with Gale for the rest of my life. Ugh, I couldn't even do it for an hour. I run up to my room and I slam the door, crying. Why did I do this? Well, I know why I did this. But I regret it. I just regret today. I go and sit down on the edge of my bed with my head in my hands.

"Why do I have to be so stupid?" I mumble into my hands. "Stupid, stupid, stupid." I knew if I got with Gale, everyone would hate me. Even the ones that were my friends. Gale fucked our relationship up. And I'm not making him pay for what he's done by 'dating' him.

I walk over to my radio, and turn it on and turn the volume up to a seven. "No matter what they say, I'm not over you." Of course I wasn't over Peeta. It's been what? Two hours? I was being stupid and unreasonable. I know this. I know he didn't really want me to be with Gale. But I just wanted to make him happy. Yeah, neither one of us were happy right now. At least I wasn't.

There was a loud bang on my door and I almost decided not to get up and get it. But I decided against it.

I slowly got up and turned the door knob, opening it.

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**I know, I know. Come and hurt me you all. But, THIS IS NOT THE END! So please, read the next chapter to find out what happens. And, the next chapter, :( Is the last chapter of this story. **

**I'm also sorry that this chapter is really short. I had to get it over with and this is the shortest chapter of the whole story but it had a lot going on in such a quick amount of time.  
**

**And I promise you all, you don't want Katniss with Gale, teaser: She ends up with someone else. (; So keep reviewing! I'm not going to disappoint you guys. I promise!  
**

**So, review and please, keep reading. I don't want you guys to stop reading because Katniss is being stupid. Her senses come back to her next chapter, promise.  
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**I love you, AND REMEMBER, review, favorite, follow. Something please. (: I love you all so much.  
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**Ps. This story has been selected for the final 10. (: I'm getting closer and closer to winning! Review for Peeta, my loves.  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**Was surprise to say that I didn't get a lot of hate. Doesn't mean I didn't get any that is. So, Katniss get's a lot of senses in this chapter and I'm thankful for that, she is even getting on my nerves, lololol. **

**ANYWAYS, It's down to the final 5 and I'm in them. (: I'm hoping I win! At least first or second, so keep reviewing. **

**I'm also hoping you readers love this chapter because this is the FINAL chapter. :O **

**I might have an Alert for this story to keep you guys posted on if I plan on writing a sequel. But, I want you ALL to tell me after reading this chapter, if there should be a sequel or not. I don't want to write a sequel and no one read it. So, tell me what you think after reading this chapter.  
**

**So, here is the final chapter of This Is Not Love.  
**

**Happy reading my loves. (:**

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"Katniss." I look up and down at his outfit. His hospital outfit. Did he run all the way from the hospital, to my house? I know it wasn't that far, but he just had a near death experience.

"Why are you here, Peeta?" I choke out of my quivering mouth. I didn't want him to see me cry so I turn my body around and walk in my room, he follows.

"I heard something." He puts his hands on his knees, out of breath. He must have ran here.

"What did you hear?" Is someone already starting to spread over about Gale and I?

"You and Gale. You two are together?" He finally stands back up straight and stares at me. So I was right. People really had nothing better to do? Gale probably called everyone and told them.

"You told me you wanted us to be together. So I listened to you." Even though now I know you were just mad. But I couldn't go over to Gale's house and tell him Peeta was only mad when he said that him and I should be together.

"I was only mad! I told you this!" He raises his voice and I just look down at my feet. I didn't know what to say. He was right. I was being stubborn for even listening to him whether he was mad or not mad.

"I know." I look back up at him and I take a deep breath, calming myself down.

"Then why did you do it?" He whispers taking a step towards me. I take one step back.

"I don't know." I truthfully tell him. I didn't know why I did it after he told me his was only mad. At first, it was for revenge, now I'm not so sure.

"You have to have a reason." He takes a step closer to me, and this time I didn't move back.

"Because you got me mad. You said it like I really wanted to be with him." And he knows everything Gale has done to me in the past. How could he really think that? Even if it was in the back of his mind.

"I'm sorry, Katniss. Why don't you get it?" He says.

"I get it, Peeta. I completely understand it." I turn away from him and over to my window, looking outside.

"Then why are you being so difficult?" I was being difficult? Was he serious?

"Me? Difficult? I was being difficult? You're funny, Mellark. Absolutely hilarious." I stare at him sarcastically.

"Thanks." He rolls his eyes and just stares at me. "Go and dump him." Dump him? Was he being serious?

"Why? You dumped me last time I checked. Now you want me back?" I was ecstatic that he wanted me back. But he doesn't show up at my bedroom door telling me to go and dump Gale.

"Because," He scratches the back of his neck. "I messed up okay? I shouldn't have yelled at you and gotten so angry." Good, he's apologizing.

"Of course you messed up. I did nothing wrong."

"I know you did nothing wrong. But just go and dump him. He doesn't deserve you!" He yells at me.

"And you do?" I point my finger at him.

"We deserve each other.." He looks down and whispers. Then he turns away and starts walking out of my room. I take a step forward and grab his hand and he turns his head back around.

"Do you honestly think that?" I did think we belonged together. But him saying it as well, makes my body feel like it can fly.

He looks at me with pure love in his eyes. "Of course I think that." Then he leans down and gives me a soft peck on the lips.

"Good." I smile against his lips and he smiles too. "I just," I run my fingers through his blond hair and give a small sigh. "I just, didn't want to rush into marriage. But, one day, I do want to marry you. But right now, I think it'd be best it we'd wait." He nods in agreement.

"And not Gale?" He gives me a smirk, but deep down, he's not kidding.

"Not Gale. I was ready to shoot myself if I had to spend another day with him." I was seriously about to go out and get a gun and be dead. "I can't stand him." I lean my head against his chest and groan in amusement.

"Good, you're all mine." He rubs my back with his thumb and I smile at the feeling.

"And I'm okay with that." I pull away from Peeta and grab his hand. He looks at me curiously. "To Gale's house." I pull on Peeta's hand til we reach the front door. I grab the baseball bat that my mother keeps by the door if we ever have a burglar.

Peeta chuckles. "I don't even wanna ask." I smile back at him and we walk over to Gale's house with a baseball bat hidden behind my back.

As always, Gale is sitting on his porch. When he sees Peeta and I walking, he stands up, his hands in fists.

"Gale, don't even think about it." I warn him.

"Or what?" He smirks. I whip the baseball bat from my back and Gale takes a step back. "Oh." Was all he said.

"Yeah, 'oh.'" Peeta rolls his eyes. "Katniss was only with you because I told her to. And I only told her to be with you because I was mad."

"She told me she's with me because she didn't love you anymore." Gale blows a kiss my way and I look down. I did say that. And I regretted it.  
Peeta looks over at me with shock in his eyes.

"Really?" He whispers before turning around.

"Peeta!" I drop the bat and chase after a now running Peeta. "Peeta!" Peeta stops running and I stop, still a few feet behind him. He turns around with tears in his eyes.

"I knew you were mad at me, but I didn't think that mad." I felt like shooting myself again. This can't be happening. What is with my life these past two months?

"I didn't know what else to say." It was true. "How was I suppose to know you'd show up at my doorstep and want me back?" Peeta looks down and I stare at his outfit once again. He shouldn't even be here. He should be in the hospital getting better.

"You must not have any faith in us being together." I put my hand over my heart. I think it just broke.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." I turned away from him and started back to my house. I turn around and scream, "I swore I wouldn't fall in love with anyone! Thanks!" I turn back around and keep walking to my house.

"Katniss!" Peeta calls my name. I ignore him until I'm tackled to the ground. "Oops, sorry." He mumbles flipping me over so I'm staring at him.

"What?" I stare at his eyes.

"I love you." Before I can respond, he crashes his lips to me. All I can think to do is kiss him back. He pulls away. "I will be willing to put up every piece of bullshit with you, because I can't imagine my life without you, Katniss." I caress his cheek.

"I don't think I even remember what it's like without you in my life." I didn't because my only memories involve Peeta in them.

"You're stuck with me." He whispers kissing both of my cheeks. "And I will be willing to fight Gale everyday if that means you and I can be together." I didn't want him and Gale fighting over me anymore. But just because he said that, despite the Gale part, it made me love him more than I already did.

"Don't fight with Gale though." I whisper.

"Your wish is my command." I smile and he smiles back.

So Peeta and I don't move from the ground. We just sit there and stare at each other, and whisper "I love you" to one another for about an hour and sneak in little kisses here and there.

Peeta and I are in love with each other. And our journey may have been quick and complicated, but you can never doubt love. Especially our love. And he will wait til I want to get married and I will wait til he asks again.

Peeta and I are in this together.

Forever.

And.

Always.

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**Amazing ending right? OF COURSE! Now, before I talk about the story, I won 3rd place in the competition! And sorry I didn't update sooner, it was 9/11 yesterday and I made a trip to NYC. So, I'm making it up to you guys now before I forget. (:**

**So, Katniss and Peeta are perfect. For now right? At least this is how the story ended. Sequel? Who knows. It's up to you guys if I write it or not! Gale and Peeta almost fight? Peeta finding out what she said to Gale? Heartbroken Peeta for a minute? Walking away Katniss? Peeta tackling her? Them falling in love all over? REVIEWS!  
**

**Review review and review what you thought!  
**

**Now, I'm going to give a shout out to everyone of you guys that reviewed this story.  
**

**_For chapter one:_  
DrunaLove  
Rebekah  
PeetaBread 3  
xprincesserinx  
fanaticfanfic15  
choclate lover**

**_For chapter 2:_**  
**DrunaLove**  
**smart8881**  
**JenReadd**  
**MaidenAlice**  
**Peetabread 3**  
**GirlOnFire1678**  
**Alivegirl4ever2012**

**_Chapter 3:_**  
**DrunaLove**  
**Red-HeadNinja1524**  
**74th- hungergames**  
**MaidenAlice**  
**Peetabread 3**

**_Chapter 4:_**  
**DrunaLove**  
**vampirefeverforever**  
**canadiangirl97**  
**Peetabread 3**  
**74th- hungergames**  
**MaidenAlice**

**_Chapter 5:  
_DrunaLove**  
**AHeart99**  
**smart8881**  
**fanaticfanfic15**  
**LondonJewel**  
**Peetabread 3**  
**always448**  
**vampirefeverforever**  
**MaidenAlice**  
**74th- hungergames**

_**Chapter 6:**_  
**DrunaLove**  
**Fourtris1282**  
**GirlOnFire1678**  
**LondonJewel**  
**smart8881**  
**74th- hungergames**  
**SweetLoveOfMine**  
**MaidenAlice**  
**vampirefeverforever**  
**rochay97**  
**THGpanem**

**_Chapter 7:_**  
**DrunaLove**  
**Alivegirl4ever2012**  
**LondonJewel**  
**74th- hungergames**  
**smart8881**  
**raghzy**  
**MaidenAlice**  
**Dallamonkey**  
**mollieburr**

**_Chapter 8:_**  
**DrunaLove**  
**Skittlesbieber52**  
**smart8881**  
**JenReadd**  
**Violet daughter of Percabeth**  
**JustHappiness-NoRegrets**  
**vampirefeverforever**  
**MaidenAlice**  
**rochay97**  
**LondonJewel**  
**xprincesserinx**

**_Chapter 9:_**  
**DrunaLove**  
**Violet daughter of Percabeth**  
**Alivegirl4ever2012**  
**LondonJewel**  
**74th- hungergames**  
**FiftyPea**  
**KitKat1320**  
**Dallamonkey**

**_Chapter 10:_**  
**DrunaLove**  
**smart8881**  
**Violet daughter of Percabeth**  
**MaidenAlice**  
**74th- hungergames**  
**Dallamonkey**  
**Peetabread 3**  
**KitKat1320**

**_Chapter 11:_**  
**Athena**  
**canadianboy98**  
**Booklover72**  
**FalineInTheWoods**  
**Van**  
**unicorn819**  
**DrunaLove**  
**smart8881**  
**Dallamonkey**  
**pinkfides09**  
**LondonJewel**  
**Peetabread 3**  
**Destiny FrostBlade**  
**KitKat1320**  
**AHeart99**  
**vampirefeverforever**  
**rochay97**  
**Violet daughter of Percabeth**  
**SexyKatniss12**  
**74th- hungergames**  
**xprincesserinx**  
**mollieburr**  
**Alivegirl4ever2012**

**_Chapter 12:_**  
**smart8881**  
**vampirefeverforever**  
**Violet daughter of Percabeth**  
**SamAnne112**  
**Booklover72**  
**DrunaLove**  
**xprincesserinx**  
**74th- hungergames  
Peetabread 3**  
**rochay97**

**_Chapter 13:_**  
**smart8881**  
**Peetabread 3**  
**xprincesserinx**  
**Booklover72**  
**AHeart99**  
**74th- hungergames**  
**rochay97**

**SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED AND KEPT REVIEWING THROUGH ALL THE CHAPTERS!  
**

**I love you all and I'm hoping you all continue to read my future stories. (: And maybe a sequel if you would all like that. I'm so sad that this story is over. Thank you all for reading, favoriting, and following!  
**

**Bunches of Love!  
**

**-CatchingPeeta  
**

**xxxxxooooxxxxx  
**


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